Passenger Along for the ride!
by Selene Starblade
Summary: Well, after a short lacuna, I'm back. So are the Nerimans! Genma in a suit? Ryooga sleeping in the dojo? It's all a buildup... R/R whenever you can!. Constructive only.
1. Book One, Chapter 1: Welcome aboard!

She surfaced suddenly, aware only that something was horribly wrong. She looked down at herself, confirming one of her greatest fears/hopes.... she had never known which, exactly. She wasn't herself anymore. Immediately, she tried to figure out what could have caused this. The last thing she remembered was...  
  
was....  
  
sitting down...  
  
at her computer.........  
  
to write.  
  
To write.....  
  
...what?  
  
Then she noticed that she was reflexively treading water... and there was a funny-looking fat man babbling something at her in Japanese. She didn't know Japanese.  
  
Oh crap.  
  
It was quite ironic really. She could no longer remember this one, yet she knew she had found it the most fascinating of all before this had happened.  
  
I'm in an anime.  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 1: Welcome aboard.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Starblade  
  
Dedicated to those others who have gone before, doing obvious SI.... and not following stereotypes.  
  
Warning: This fanfiction borrows many ideas shown in other fanfictions. Hopefully, those who wrote them, upon reading this, will find my interperetations satisfactory- I don't intend to exactly copy anything. I have the greatest respect for those whose fanfictions I have DLed onto my computer, as they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. Hope you enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I don't want to own them. BUT THEY MADE ME DO IT!!! WAAAAAAAH!!!! (enters Souun Tendou Cry #46: I've been forced into this against my will even though I find myself mysteriously enjoying it)  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" "=Japanese  
  
[ ]= Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ }=Chinese  
  
* * = internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------  
  
She climbed from the pool, noticing the silk she was wearing clinging to her almost uncomfortably. Meanwhile, a panda remained glued to the top of a bamboo pole sticking out of one of the many pools nearby. The fat man in the Mao uniform looked at her a moment, then spoke.  
  
{Aiyaaah! Mr. Customer look very strange for victim of Nyannichuuan! Does Mr. Customer feel alright??}  
  
She stared at the Jusenkyou Guide a moment before responding.  
  
Ah.... I'm sorry, I don't speak Japanese at all.... Would you mind explaining how I got here?  
  
The Guide did a double-take as the panda nearly fell off it's pole. Totally confused, they both carefully moved to the girl, stopping a few feet away, the Guide in case of strange accidents, and the panda in case his son was trying to trick him.  
  
But, Mr. Customer speak Japanese before fall in spring.... the Guide began, thouroughly puzzled. Nothing like this had ever happened before... what was going on, exactly?  
  
That's very interesting, but... the girl looked at herself a moment, then puzzledly at the guide, I really don't think "Mr." applies to me....  
  
The panda, half-understanding this through his panic, pulled a sign out of nowhere and mashed the girl into the ground with it.  
  
[Nonsense, boy, you're a man! And how could you possibly be taking this so calmly?!?]  
  
The only response it got was a strangled groan from the girl before she fell unconscious.  
  
The panda sweatdropped.  
  
[Get up, boy, stop fooling around! You've taken much harder than that before!] :flip: [Take it like a man, and get back up!]  
  
"Aiyaah, Mr. Customer, no think Mr. Younger Customer is fooling.... Something wrong, very tragic...."  
  
The panda suddenly realizing that it was using signs, pulled another one out, pointed at the guide.  
  
[How do you get rid of these curses?!?] :flip: [And how the heck am I doing this, anyway?!?!?]  
  
It was the guide's turn to sweatdrop. "It take Mr. Customer this long to notice??"  
  
******  
  
Ranma sat atop a heavily beaten, unconscious panda in the guide's hut. Meanwhile, every last kami, god, demon, spirit, and mythical creature was doing a take, a double take, or a spit take. The Jusenkyou guide was just cowering in the corner.  
  
Because Ranma Saotome was thinking hard. And he was thinking seriously.  
  
Somewhere else, Lucifer was cursing at a raincloud that had somehow wandered into his domain.  
  
Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bone.... no, not his bones. He could feel it in his head. As though there was a pressure there, in the back of his mind, held back for some reason. He had to figure out what it was... he had an eerie feeling it was related to why he had totally lost control of her... HIS body after falling in the spring. And then blacking out after she... HE got out. Damn, but pronouns were going to be confusing for a while.  
  
He remembered a meditation technique taught to him by a wandering medical student, as a matter of fact, the only meditation technique he knew. As far as his Oyaji was concerned, meditation was for sissies who would rather talk than fight. Fortunately for him, Genma had been off.... obtaining... food when the young man had happened on him a few years ago. The student had sensed the ki imbalance caused by Ranma's Neko-ken training, and had taught him the meditation to help him keep it under control. Now he merely ran screaming from cats, instead of instantly lapsing into the Neko-ken. The meditation was used to relieve stress and encourage freedom of thought. And that pressure felt almost confining. He just hoped it would work.  
  
******  
  
As his body slipped into sleep-function, Ranma's mind coalesced in his imagination. He stood there and looked around his psyche (not that he knew it was called that...), and noted that everything seemed pretty much the same, with the strange monuments and trees.... except for one place. He could see, just at the limit of vision, a hill.  
  
A hill that hadn't been there last time. A hill just beyond where he had sequestered the Neko-ken. Ranma shuddered at the thought. Oh, well. He'd have to go through it to get there.....  
  
And with that, Ranma steeled himself, heading in the direction of the hill.  
  
Halfway there, he almost lost focus, walking past what seemed to be a deserted training hall.... from which issued yowls of hunger and screams of agony. With a final shuddering step, it was again out of hearing..... and Ranma stood at the bottom of the hill.  
  
The hill was very large, but low, and evenly domed. Easily walking up it, Ranma found something very interesting. At the top of the hill was.... a building.  
  
It was a small, two-story, Victorian-style house, and it looked very comfortable. Except for the steel bars over the doors and windows. After a short examination, Ranma decided that the only apparent way to get in was to break something.  
  
Looking over the bars more carefully, Ranma noticed that there was a window left almost totally unobstructed on the swinging garage doors... almost inviting him in. He resolved to be careful, while nothing here could physically harm him, immense mental damage could be done.... he shuddered, remembering the Neko-ken once more. Then he steeled himself, and leapt through the almost-too-small window, shattering the pane of yellow glass.  
  
Ranma was astounded. Inside the house was a forest. But not a forest. The paved pathways through it made it seem as though some sort of park. Yet, Ranma could tell that whatever was here, it did not use the paths much. Instead, there were a great many areas where it was obvious someone had passed through, walking across the very grass and dirt, and apparently in hiking boots, too.  
  
Ranma smiled slightly in spite of himself. Despite the paving, the place was quite nice, and very calm overall. Though the effect WAS almost ruined by the presence of an absolutely huge robot off at one end of the wooded area, he had to admit. Then he heard it. Someone was singing. Someone was here. Someone was here, singing. Very well, as a matter of fact. Ranma paused a moment, then appended it further. Someone was here, singing beautifully, and female, and it apparently wasn't him, as he had his mouth shut.  
  
Ranma was relieved for a moment, as he didn't REMEMBER becoming female, although Jusenkyou had rendered that fear rather solid. Ranma immediately tensed up again, as he realized that whoever it was who was singing wasn't a memory of his.... he'd never heard that song before. He couldn't quite make out the words, but the tune was totally unfamiliar. Ranma counted himself fortunate that whoever-it-was didn't seem to want to stop singing as he followed the sounds to their creator.  
  
Ranma wasn't even halfway prepared for what awaited him in the small clearing. He stopped and rubbed his eyes. Whoever it was he was looking at seemed to have six or seven different forms at once, and yet only one. All of her/them, however, was/were female. She/they was/were also in his head. Without invitation. That was not good.  
  
Silently, Ranma leapt to the attack, nailing the singer in the back of the head with a flying kick. There was a loud *THWAKK* as she/they went flying. Fortunately for her/them, while Ranma didn't really share his father's ideal of never striking a girl as they couldn't defend themselves at all, he did pull his blow partly from her/their gender and partly in case she/they was/were 'nt an experienced fighter.  
  
Ranma was expecting his target to fly forwards and plow into the ground, sensless if not unconscious.  
  
He wasn't expecting to feel like someone had clubbed him in the back of the head.  
  
And yet, both of these happened.  
  
******  
  
"SO," came His voice to Skuld, who was watching the events inside Ranma's head, "HOW GOES IT?"  
  
"Pretty well, actually..." was the twenty-something-looking goddess' reply. "She has a different take on how to do this from the others... she explicitly stated that she didn't want exacting foreknowledge of what would happen... just a general inkling. It should be quite interesting to see how she deals with this whole thing."  
  
******  
  
She groaned, surprised to be feeling pain in what she had assumed a dream. She'd figured that when that chubby guy had doused her from the kettle, he'd put her to sleep or something. Struggling and finally managing to get up, she turned to fix a green/brown/blue/red-eyed gaze on the pigtailed martial artist.  
  
"And what," she fumed, "was THAT for?! Dammit, I can't even get a break in my dreams now? This is insane!"  
  
"Wait...your dreams?" Asked an incredulous Ranma, "Whadda ya mean YOUR dreams?? You're in MY head!"  
  
"In your head?" Her expression changed to one of puzzlement.  
  
"Yes, in MY head. And how'd you take control of my body, anyway? I don't get it... I fall in a spring an' someone else gets control of my body? What sorta training is that?"  
  
Her face shifted once again, this time to apology. "I'm sorry for intruding in your head.. whoever you are... but, I don't seem to have gotten much of a choice here myself... I really have no idea what you're talking about... training? For what?"  
  
******  
  
******  
  
Akane slowed her jogging as she passed the car wreck, just enough to see that noone had been hurt in the accident. Making a note to tell her father about it, as the police were already there, she sped back up, rounded the corner and headed straight for the dojo.  
  
Changing into her gi, the youngest Tendou proceeded to complete her ritual by shattering a set of concrete blocks. She almost didn't hear the soft "click" immediately after she delivered her blow. Looking up, she saw her sister Nabiki lowering a small camera.  
  
"There you go again, Akane." Nabiki began, "It's because of this that all the boys think you're wierd."  
  
"So?" came the swift reply. "Not everyone thinks that *boys* are everything, Nabiki!"  
  
"Oh, really? Then I guess you won't be at all interested in Father's announcement, Akane?"  
  
******  
  
It was raining. Again. It seemed to have done that rather a lot since Jusenkyou.  
  
Surprisingly, she didn't much care for the rain, despite the fact that it allowed her control, and form, of their shared body.  
  
It could have been because she looked even more abnormal in the rain.  
  
It could have been because her traveling companion seemed to not notice the awful smell of wet fur enough to change back right away afterwards.  
  
Although, really, it was just because she couldn't stand being wet while clothed for dry weather.  
  
*Ranma, why does Oyaji keep looking at me like that?*  
  
*I'm not sure, Yasha. Just before it rained, he said something about "engagement in Nerima" and "purge the demon" or something like that... it didn't really make much sense.*  
  
*Oh. Just par for the course, then.*  
  
*huh?*  
  
******  
  
Souun and Nabiki Tendou were scared out of their wits. A panda walking into the house on its hind legs was bad enough. The accompanying horror, however......  
  
"Daddy?" questioned Kasumi, hiding behind the Tendou in question, "This... is your FRIEND????"  
  
The girl was four and a half feet tall, if that, and was staring at them unsettlingly. It was probably unsettling because her irises were blood crimson. She had long, pointed ears, the upper ends of which were probably even with the top of her head. It was hard to tell, however, because the long, brown quills that she had in place of hair stuck up the remainder of the fifth foot. The other really noticably different part of her face was the short fangs, the tips of which barely peeked out from her mouth. Her long, catlike tail poked out from underneath the red, silk tang she wore, seemingly through a hole in her black kung-fu pants. Completing the look were a pair of soft slippers, and all her clothes were far too large for her, making her look even more deformed. Actually, gender was difficult to determine... the clothes hid everything. So, Souun Tendou's mistake was reasonable, given the circumstances, and the panda.  
  
"You.... you aren't *Ranma*..... are you?"  
  
"Saotome.... Ranma desu. S-sumimasen..."  
  
(I'm... Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this....)  
  
Souun Tendou fainted.  
  
Kasumi Tendou jumped at hearing someone with fangs like that produce totally intelligible speech. (Even if there was a thick American accent)  
  
Nabiki Tendou narrowed her eyes.  
  
Akane Tendou got into a stance, preparing to kill the demon-boy.  
  
Yasha-Ranma backed away from Akane a bit.  
  
The panda held up a sign. [Ah. Same old Souun Tendou I remember.] ::flip:: [Would someone like to be a dear and get us some hot water?] ::flip:: [Nevermind, I'll get it myself.]  
  
The panda dropped the sign as it ducked into the kitchen.  
  
Nabiki frowned slightly. She'd seen the sign drop, it only had two sides. How had the panda done that?? For that matter, where had the sign come from?  
  
"Um..." began Yasha-Ranma, nervously staring at Akane, "P... Please don't... I not going to try hurt you, and I don't think I able hurt you anyway..."  
  
Kasumi stepped forwards around Akane, moving to comfort the small... boy? girl? demon? Whoever they were, they weren't too familiar with Japanese, either...  
  
"Please excuse Imoutochan. I'm afraid we're all a bit startled by your appearance. Oh, where are my manners? I am Kasumi Tendou."  
  
Yasha-Ranma, looking relieved to be dealing with someone less openly hostile, smiled nervously at Kasumi. "Is quite all right, Kasumi-san. "Must expect when looking-"  
  
The small girl found herself cut off by a sudden transformation. Genma stood behind her now, empty kettle held over Ranma's head.  
  
Souun Tendou said nothing, having failed to regain consciousness.  
  
Kasumi Tendou stared a moment. "Oh, my...."  
  
Nabiki Tendou jumped, then returned to a neutral expression.  
  
Akane, if anything, became more ready to kill the human boy than she had been to try to kill the seemingly-demon possibly-boy.  
  
Ranma frowned a moment, changing the way he stood almost entirely. He did remain standing on his feet, though. He also did something to his hair, tightening the ponytail before it's bond could slip off the reduced volume.  
  
*like I do to get... oh. Damn it! I hate being cut off mid-sentence!* Yasha continued in Ranma's head.  
  
*You and I both, Yasha, you and I both. Now what do I do? The girl in the gi still looks ready to kill us! Not that she can, but we've already gotten one enemy, and that's plenty for me!*  
  
*Ah.... good question...*  
  
Genma took dramatic stance #2 (Oh, what a tragedy) and proclaimed, "Oh, the horrible things Ranma and I have undergone in our training trip! It is a wonder that my old friend Souun is coping as well as he is! I must wait for him to wake up, so I can explain to all of you!"  
  
"Now this, I've got to hear."  
  
"Please, Nabiki, stop giving our guests a hard time, and help me with father..."  
  
******  
  
"Poor daddy. He must have been so disappointed..."  
  
Nabiki just looked at Kasumi, thinking that the relief on her face was definitely something unusual.  
  
"I'm so embarrassed. Why does Dad have to act so frail?"  
  
Souun Tendou, having just come to, immediately began doing his best impression of God during that whole Noah thing (Souun Tendou cry # 12: My Daughter Thinks I'm Weak And She's Probably Right). Ranma was fortunately far enough away from Souun's head, but Kasumi and Genma only narrowly avoided getting a soaking.  
  
*Wow. Lookit him go. It's a wonder the floor isn't suffering water damage yet...*  
  
*Mmh. Yasha, why do you think that girl is angry at us?* came Ranma's response, as he turned their collective gaze on the girl still wearing her gi.  
  
*Ranma... some people just hate some kinds of other people. I have never been able to figure it out, but I and those I associate with usually fall into the category hated.... Oh well. May as well get back to watching Mr. Portable Niagara Falls here...*  
  
Ranma narrowly avoided an argument and eventual beating by turning his gaze from Akane to her father just before Akane decided to glare at him across Souun again. Right about then, Souun turned off the waterworks and looked around.  
  
"G-genma, old friend? Is that you? Tell me, where are the panda and the foul demon thing? Did you drive them off??"  
  
*Oi! He'd better watch who he's calling a foul thing!*  
  
*Quiet, Yasha, this could be important.*  
  
"I suppose, Tendou, that a full explanation is in order... for now, an introduction." He turned to the three girls. The young one, Akari was it?, looked ready to fly off the handle anytime now. And Nikibi....Kinibi? Natsumi?.... whatever. She was watching the boy like she thought something was wrong. The eldest one, that Kasumi girl, was looking at Ranma really strangely.... oboy, this didn't look like it was working too well. Oh well, nothing to do but bull ahead...  
  
"I'm Saotome Genma, and this is my son-"  
  
"Saotome Ranma. Sorry about this..." 


	2. Book One, Chapter 2: Daughter-like demon...

"What's this all about?" asked Nabiki, sitting between her sisters at the low table.  
  
"How did you change into you from that.... uh...  
  
...  
  
...  
  
... other... uh, person?" Kasumi almost hesitated out of finishing the sentence.  
  
"Ah..." began Genma. "Where should I start? Oh, I know."  
  
Genma grabbed Ranma and threw him at the koi pond. "HYAH!"  
  
glubglub went the pond.  
  
Genma waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
For a full minute. Then he panicked, ran over to the koi pond, and leaned down to see Ranma-Yasha's nose just sticking out of the water right behind a rock. Before he could respond to this, he had been grabbed by the neck and yanked into the pond. Ranma-Yasha used his momentum to help her pull herself out of the pond, rising just high enough to land on one of the rocks that made the pond's border.  
  
"Che. Could not just TELLING them. Nooooooo. That be so NICE for you do it!" Ranma-Yasha snarled, tail lashing, as she stood up from where she was draped on the rock.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 2: Daughter-like demon, or demonic daughter?  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Starblade  
  
Dedicated to those who do not take themselves too seriously, but still try their best.  
  
Warning: I borrowed stuff from good writers. Hopefully, my interperetations are satisfactory- I don't intend to duplicate anything exactly. I have the greatest respect for those whose fanfictions I have DLed, as they are, in my opinion, the best of the best. And remember, if I borrowed it from you, I'm not giving it back until I'm through with it.  
  
Disclaimer: They aren't mine. They never will be. Someone keeps them from me. Wait..... Aha!  
  
SAOTOME RANMA!!!!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" "= Japanese  
  
[ ]= Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ }= Chinese  
  
* *= internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
Â° Â°= I don't know, I just put these here to mislead you.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------  
  
The large panda sat up out of the pond, surprising the Tendous for the fourth time this day. (Third for Souun - he'd fainted after the first one, and so missed the second.)  
  
[What's the big idea bo-] ::flip:: [gir-] ::flip:: [so-] ::flip:: [foul demon that infests my son's body, warping it to he-] ::flip:: [...it's evil purposes?]  
  
Nabiki was decided. She HAD to get access to that panda's signs. She could make billions of yen off advertising deals with that. And with unlimited space....  
  
Ranma-Yasha walked back to the room, pausing a moment to shake off excess water by shimmying, which left pretty much the whole yard sprinkled. Luckily, her clothes were big enough that the others still didn't realize she was a she, and so she avoided a possible malleting from Akane and the likely fainting of Souun and Kasumi for varying reasons.  
  
"Sumimasen..." started Kasumi, hesitantly, " but, why did you just get such a thick American accent? And start speaking so poorly, too?"  
  
"Well... Is hard explain in Japanese this moment.... you any know English?"  
  
"Not very well, no. " Came Nabiki's response, basically echoed by the other three Tendous.  
  
Ignoring the panda returning behind her, Ranma-Yasha began. "Well, may be sound confusing now. As much I can tell, is this how it is. Simply, when I change self, knowledge change. I remembering what happen before this start when I like this, but not know same things."  
  
"Before what started?" Asked a puzzled Souun, shying away from the demon- girl as she focused crimson eyes on him.  
  
"Ask Oyaji-Panda-Baka."  
  
SMAKK!!  
  
Ranma-Yasha's eyes glazed over as she fell to the ground amidst the broken pieces of sign. She twitched a couple of times before passing out. Her last conscious thought was that it was rather unfair of her father to hit her with the floor as well.  
  
The remains of the sign read [Respect your father, boy!]. Not that anyone could read it anymore.  
  
Souun, who had been just starting to pour some hot water on the panda, froze, staring at the downed demon-girl. Enough water poured to change Genma back, but Souun still held his position.  
  
"Saotome-kun, don't you think that may have been just a bit much?"  
  
Genma grimaced. "Damn it. I just keep forgetting that he isn't as tough or experienced when he's like this."  
  
"What do you mean, " Souun asked as he stepped over to the unconscious Ranma-Yasha, " 'when he's like this'?"  
  
"Well, " Genma began, taking Tragic Stance # 12: What A Tragic Story. "It's like this, Tendou-kun. We had gone to the pools of Jusenkyou to train. We had barely gotten any training in before falling into two of the pools. We came out as you see us now, but here's the interesting part: the pools of Jusenkyou turn you into whatever drowned in the pool you fell into, with the form changing based on water, as you seem to have figured out. My son knocked me into the Pool of Drowned Panda (disrespectful son!) and I, in turn, knocked him into the spring of drowned girl."  
  
Souun blinked, pouring warm water onto the unconscious girl. "So how did your son become a demon, Saotome?"  
  
To pretty much everyone's surprise, Ranma sat up, adjusting his hair again, apparently alright other than a small bump on his head. "Dunno. Th' guide couldn't explain it, either. It didn't make any sense."  
  
"Furthermore," continued Genma, "When the boy is in his other form, he forgets all his knowledge. Or so he claims." This last was accompanied by a glare at Ranma.  
  
Ranma returned the glare full-force, then turned to Souun. "It's like this... When I'm like that, I'm still me, but I know diff'rent things. Like, I forget martial arts mostly, but I know a lotta dance stuff. Ballroom, tap, an' whatever. An', this is the real wierd part, I know all sorta stuff I know I shouldn'a learned yet. Like calculus an' trigonowhatsis."  
  
Nabiki blinked. Ranma's "other half" was at least in college, sort of? What was going on here?  
  
*...ooooow....*  
  
Ranma blinked, then seemed to zone out a little while Souun and Genma were muttering to each other.  
  
*You alright Yasha?*  
  
*Ranma? Couldja get the number of that tank that hit me?*  
  
*I'll take that as a 'yes'. Here, let's see what's going on now...*  
  
Ranma's eyes lost the distant look. Only Akane noticed, however, Kasumi and Nabiki had been watching the two fathers having a rushed, whispered conversation.  
  
Ranma flinched back from Akane's angry gaze.  
  
*Wonder what she's all worked up about?*  
  
*Dunno, Yasha, we'll just have to wait and see.*  
  
"Well, " began the Tendou patriarch, clapping Ranma on the shoulder, "Your problem isn't so bad after all!" Maybe this idea of Saotome's that marriage would purge the demon who'd taken over Ranma's other side would work...  
  
"These are my daughters. First, Kasumi, she's nineteen. And Nabiki, seventeen. And, of course, Akane, who is sixteen. Pick the one you want. She's your fiancee."  
  
Tense pause.  
  
*FIANCEE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?*  
  
"IINAZUKE?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!"  
  
Yasha wasn't quite sure how Ranma managed to sound even more surprised than her.  
  
"O-ya-giiiiiiii..." Ranma turned a burning glare on Genma. "Did you, perhaps, forget to TELL ME SOMETHING????"  
  
Genma winced.  
  
Nabiki and Akane smirked, Nabiki just barely managing not to chuckle.  
  
Souun flattened himself against the far wall.  
  
And Kasumi watched pleasently as Ranma manifested a fitful, iridescent-blue battle aura.  
  
"Now, boy, it's a matter of family honor! Our families were pledged to this before you were born! There really isn't much of a choice in this for anyone!"  
  
That stopped Ranma, who growled at his father, then sat down, battle aura and anger temporarily suppressed. He turned and looked at the three girls, each of whom had returned to their usual facial expression. Except Kasumi, who hadn't really ever left hers.  
  
The tall girl was barely smiling, pleasently, and had her head slightly tilted, looking somewhat curious. The one in the middle had an absolutely stone-solid, neutral face. Ranma stared at her until she lifted an eyebrow, shuddered slightly at the coldness of her expression, and looked at the youngest girl, the one with the blue hair. Oo. Lot of anger there. Best stay away from that one...  
  
"I think..." Ranma trailed off.  
  
"Well, boy, go ahead and choose!" Said his father impatiently.  
  
Each of the girls had come to the conclusion that, while they didn't want to be engaged to this.... very.... unusual person (though only Kasumi thought of it in such kind terms), they didn't want any of their sisters to be any more than they wanted to themselves. Since it was a matter of honor, noone had much choice, however, so might as well just let the boy choose. Akane thought this with a bit of a shudder. Both Akane and Nabiki, however, had decided that they would rather take it themselves than have Kasumi stuck with it.  
  
*Wait, Ranma... maybe... Well, I can't think of a reason why they'd want to be married to someone they don't know... can you?*  
  
*Well, no, I can't. What're ya getting at, Yasha?*  
  
*Why don't we let THEM choose?*  
  
*Because.... because... well.... *  
  
*Because what?*  
  
*Actually, Yasha, that sounds like a pretty good idea. Let's try it.*  
  
Ranma straightened up, looking more confident all of a sudden.  
  
"So, who's it going to be, son?" asked Mr. Tendou.  
  
"I think they should choose. After all, they know more about me now than I do about them."  
  
Nabiki smiled slightly. "Well thought, Saotome. Akane, Kasumi, if we could go discuss this, please?"  
  
Akane and Kasumi both nodded and stood with their sister, heading upstairs to her room. If Nabiki wanted to discuss it, that meant she had a plan. And Nabiki's plans usually worked.  
  
******  
  
"Well, " started Nabiki, having returned with her sisters to the main room of the house. "We've come to a decision. Here's the deal. It's traditional to give a year or so for the people in question to get used to such things. Sort of a 'getting-to-know-each-other' phase. So, Ranma will be nominally engaged to all of us for a year. If, by the end of that time, one of us has decided to accept the engagement onto her shoulders, things can proceed as expected. However, if none of us wish to accept it by the end of that time, the engagement will be declared null, okay?"  
  
"Sure. Works for me." Stated Ranma, relieved not to have to make that kind of a choice with nothing to base it on.  
  
"Alright then." Said Genma, sure he could convince his son that one of these girls was worth marrying, and besides, the old Saotome charm could hardly fail his son when he himself had done so well with it! No woman could resist a Saotome!  
  
Souun merely blinked as his old friend got one of THOSE expressions on his face, and nodded, realizing that Genma must have a plan now, and would probably include him in it. Any plan that he and Genma worked on together was bound to work perfectly! And he could probably convince Genma that Akane would be perfect too. Things would work out just like he'd planned!  
  
Yeah, right.  
  
******  
  
*Are you sure this is a good idea, Ranma?* Yasha asked, as she stood in the dojo, facing off against Akane.  
  
*Yeah. I mean, you need someone about your level to spar against, and she's only a first dan.*  
  
*FIRST DAN is about my level?? Ranma, what planet are you living on????*  
  
Akane smirked as her opponent became covered in small sweatdrops.  
  
*Just relax, Yasha. You'll be fine.*  
  
*Well... if you say so. Guess I have to trust you.*  
  
Aloud, however, she only said "Ready."  
  
Akane snarled at her opponent, who had refused to attack her before, when he was in his normal form. The transformed Ranma was using the most basic ready stance there was, common to any style of martial arts. And on top of that, Ranma was using it wrong, just barely balanced on the balls of his feet, toes splayed, and fists near his face. This would be too easy.  
  
Leading off with a straight punch, Akane immediately changed that thought as the girl simply slid her feet to the sides and practically fell underneath the basic attack. Obviously, this would be easier than she had thought.  
  
Akane continued her assault on her much smaller opponent with a low kick. Ranma-Yasha fell over backwards as the foot passed over her, then curled into a backwards somersault as the leg was retracted. Frowning, Akane followed her, though slower, just in case of a surprise attack.  
  
Reaching the edge of the mat, Ranma-Yasha uncurled to stand straight, then leapt forwards. The blue-haired girl jumped back in response, allowing Ranma-Yasha room to somersault back towards her. Akane punched down, aiming for where the smaller martial artist would be in a moment, only to be surprised as her opponent braced her hands and uncurled into a kick parallel with Akane's arm, aimed for her head. Unfortunately for her, the small girl had misjudged the distance and wound up falling on her back , feet beneath Akane's head. Akane took the opportunity to lash out and strike Ranma-Yasha in the gut, only to be surprised again as the smaller girl snaked out of the way almost spinelessly.  
  
Rolling to the side and just barely avoiding the follow-up, Yasha curled sideways on the mat. She then spun, using the momentum to help her to her feet, just in time to catch a fist in her forehead from Akane. The smaller girl was almost sent flying, as it was, the momentum from the punch sent her about four feet back, to land heavily on her back and crack her head on the floor.  
  
Akane winced at the loud THWAKK made by her opponent's head hitting the floor after she misjudged the distance and hit the smaller martial artist with more force than she had intended.  
  
"Gnnnh....." Stated Ranma-Yasha, defiantly, as she moved to get up and fell back down. What was it with these people? Was hitting someone with the entire floor some sort of a special attack or something? She shook her head, then grabbed it to keep it from splitting in two vertically. "Ite..."  
  
Akane, now somewhat worried, walked over to the demon-girl, who was half- curled and clutching her head. She bit her lip.  
  
"Gomen kudasai... I didn't mean to hit you that hard. It's just, I was still mad from before, when you wouldn't hit me." She extended a hand to help her opponent up.  
  
The demon-girl muttered something noncommital and incomprehensible, then stood up, still holding her head with one hand. Bowing shakily to the I-ro- ha sign on the wall, she wobbled her way out of the Dojo.  
  
Akane huffed at Ranma's rudeness, and decided to go break some concrete blocks to cool off.  
  
******  
  
Nabiki watched the little demon talk to Kasumi for a moment before wobbling off, still a little unsteadily, to the bathroom. Akane really should learn to control that temper. Now... what could she do tomorrow to start offsetting the cost of two more people in the dojo? Besides, she still hadn't gotten enough money for that new manga she wanted...  
  
Kasumi hummed to herself as she made a double recipie of tempura. That Ranma person was so nice and polite when he was like this. Something still bugged her about that boy's cursed form, but she still wasn't sure what it was.... Oh, well. She'd figure it out soon enough if she just watched carefully.  
  
******  
  
The dinner table was oddly quiet that night.  
  
" I swear, Tendou-kun, it's as though my son does this just to aggravate me!"  
  
Well, mostly. The Tendous were all staring at Ranma-Yasha, who was wearing a perfectly fitted pair of vaguely cute railroad-conductor-striped green- and-white overalls and a royal purple t-shirt. And, apparently, a sports bra.  
  
Yasha just ignored everyone else and shoveled it in at about half-Ranma speed, but very neatly, without sending food anywhere. Although she still stole food from Genma.  
  
Every once in a while, the Tendous would blink slowly in unison, and Akane would say "You mean, your cursed form is a GIRL??" To which, of course, Ranma-Yasha would simply give a nod and a "Hai" before returning to eating. She was HUNGRY. Of course, as long as they weren't going to...  
  
Animation returned to the Tendous as Ranma-Yasha began to steal food from their plates too. Mostly in the forms of objection, and commencing to eat so as to keep Ranma-Yasha from taking all their food before they got any. Genma, for once, only ate about as much as another man his size, because he was spending all his time bemoaning his son's girlishness.  
  
Somewhere down below Genma not eating much, Satan was cursing the hailstorm that had just struck.  
  
  
  
"Okay, I'll bite. Who or what is Ranma, and what is all his, her, or its fault?"  
  
-Agent J, "Tenchi and Ranma Together Forever!" 


	3. Interlude, Book One: Theme Song for TV V...

We see the 1st season Ranma TV theme song start, as usual.  
  
Voice: Yappappaa, yappappaa, Iishanten  
  
Hashagu koi wa ike no koi.  
  
Yappappaa, yappappaa, iishanten  
  
Mune no tai wa dakaretai  
  
Suddenly the music stops.  
  
Yasha: ::walks onscreen in front of frozen images:: Hold it! This isn't the same thing over again! You're all wrong! Remember that there are more of us this time around! Make space for the new people! Lets try it again!  
  
There is a rewinding sound.  
  
Yasha: ::walking back offscreen:: Take two!  
  
Chorus: Ranmaaa......  
  
A panda face flickers on the screen, then we see Yasha ballet dancing in clothes that fit her worse than they did onna-Ranma onscreen where originally onna-Ranma was doing a kata, but little pandas are still doing katas in the background  
  
Chorus: Yappappaa yappappaa iishanten  
  
Hashagu koi wa ike no koi  
  
Chibi-Yashas are now tap-dancing in the background while Ranma, Panda-san, and.... Kasumi??? Yes, that is indeed Kasumi... are practicing katas  
  
Chorus: Yappappa yappaappaa iishanten  
  
mune no tai wa dakaretai  
  
In order, Yasha, Kasumi with a broom, and a green rabbit with a yellow and black bandana flash on the screen.  
  
Now we see Kasumi sweeping rhythmically in time with the music.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Wake mo wakarazu ni  
  
Now Kasumi sweeps, Ranma runs, and Panda-san eats, all in time with the music.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Ranma, Ranma de  
  
Hi ga kureru  
  
And now we also see Souun crying, head rising and falling, and we see Ryouga juggling large rocks, also in time.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Ranma, Ranma de  
  
Nabiki and Akane are added, Nabiki counting money and Akane breaking formerly ornamental concrete blocks. Everyone is still going in rhythm.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Nanda-kanda to  
  
Kuno practicing with his bokken while wearing Shinto wards on a headband, and Xian Pu, mixing a potion, are added on, somehow doing this in time with the others, who have by now been shrunk quite a bit to make them fit on the screen, everyone facing random directions.  
  
Kasumi's voice: Sutta monda no  
  
Kho Lon pogoes on her stick around a ribbon-flailing Kodachi while the guide tosses Azusa and Mikado into a spring and Touhuu dances with Betty- chan, and a green-haired lady is doing calligraphy on a very big scroll.  
  
Kasumi's voice: Seikimasu.  
  
The screen shows Yasha's head, she is smiling, sticking her tongue out slightly, and making a "v for victory sign" with one hand by her face.  
  
The "Ranma 1/2" logo flashes for a bit.  
  
Kasumi's voice: Natte motto shizuka ni  
  
Kasumi is cooking with a stove.  
  
Kasumi's voice: "Suki da yo" to ienai no?  
  
Now Yasha is cutting vegetables next to her.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Hariau to watashi mo  
  
Ja ja uma ni natchau!  
  
We see various shots of Kasumi and Ranma dancing what appears to be a samba, then Souun grabbing Ranma and dragging him away.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Beru mo narasazu ni  
  
soyokaze no yoo ni  
  
Ranma practices a ground kata (as opposed to the usual Musabetsu Kaketou Ryu aerial ones).  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Mune no wan-ruumu  
  
Ranma pauses, and looks at the camera.  
  
Chorus: Sumitsuita kimi na no....  
  
Kasumi sits, watches, and pops the bubble instead of Akane.  
  
Chorus: Meiwaku yo, dakedo...  
  
The camera pans up a standing Kasumi.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Konya dake ii wa  
  
Kasumi turns her head and shoulders, causing her ponytail to fly up over her far shoulder.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Ashita made ii wa...  
  
Yasha and Ranma, on opposite sides of the screen, only their heads visible, do the same, causing a pigtail and a mass of brown quills to fly up over their far shoulders.  
  
As whistles blow, there is another series of images:  
  
Panda-san with a pipe.  
  
Touhuu, some lady with green hair, and the Juusenkyo guide (Touhuu is holding Betty-chan up).  
  
Nabiki looking over her shoulder at the camera.  
  
Kasumi cheerfully with an arm around Ranma's shoudlers, Ranma looks surprised and slightly embarrassed.  
  
The guide making a Kamehameha gesture.  
  
Tatewaki and Kodachi glaring menacingly.  
  
Ryouga facing off against Xian Pu, Ryouga with his umbrella, and Xian Pu with a really long sword.  
  
The running images start up again, in time with the lines Kasumi sings.  
  
Kasumi's Voice: Koi ni narisoo de  
  
Ranma, Ranma de  
  
Tanma-tanma de  
  
Sonna mon ne to  
  
But on the last line...  
  
Kasumi plus Chorus: Otomodachi  
  
Kasumi and Ranma run up to the screen and stand side by side, her arm on his shoulders, his about her waist, with a ghostly image of Yasha floating behind them, hugging both of them by the neck. 


	4. Book One, Chapter 3: Thunder and Rain! ...

Against all odds, it was a quiet morning in Nerima that day.  
  
Actually, that wasn't against the odds at all. What was against the odds was that it seemed prepared to stay that way. The entire Neriman Christian Community crossed themselves that morning, because a morning without at least one exciting, explosive, or electrocuting thing happening usually meant an afternoon full of them.  
  
It wasn't really as bad as they paint, however. So ten-foot monsters and the occasional bikini-clad electricity-wielding extraterrestrial demon were known in Nerima. It certainly wasn't as bad as a Gojiro sighting and, actually, the activity rather livened up the place. That's why so many elderly people still lived there: to get a vicarious thrill out of watching the younger citizens "having fun" so to speak. It rarely ever resulted in any serious casualties.  
  
Not that those involved weren't ever TRYING to cause casualties.  
  
It's just that every time something wierd was about to cause some, something else wierd would happen, generally not related to the first thing at all, in a way that would avert the first thing.  
  
The real reason for the Neriman Christian Community crossing themselves was that they consisted of a lone couple of pessimistic foreigners who had somehow managed to keep their belief in a single, lone God despite the constant appearance of many goddesses and numerous smaller kami.  
  
It was rather sad, because most Christians are actually very nice people. Oh well. Where was I?  
  
Ah, yes. Quiet morning.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 3: Thunder and rain! When it rains, it.... oars?  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to those others who have gone before, doing obvious SI.... and not following stereotypes.  
  
Warning: I borrow lots of stuff from other fanfictions. I hope my interperetations are satisfactory- I don't intend to totally duplicate anything. I have the greatest respect for those from whose fanfictions I am borrowing, as they are among the best of the best. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: A disclaimer will be 2000 yen, please. Thank you. They aren't mine, except the ones who are. And none of those are you. Have a nice day.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" "= Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese ( I know, I know. There isn't any yet. But there will be eventually.)  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
Â± Â± = Don't these things look cool?  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
*School?* Yasha echoed Ranma, in their head.  
  
"Well, " said Genma, "We ARE going to be staying here a while..."  
  
"It's the same school as Akane and I go to. I'll see you at lunch!"  
  
"Wait!" shouted Akane, trailing behind Nabiki, who had just walked by the living room. "I'll go with you!"  
  
"Sorry, Akane, I have some business I can't wait for. And you have to show Ranma to his classroom anyways. You should go with him."  
  
Akane grumbled something incomprehensible, giving Ranma a glare.  
  
Ranma just blinked and got up to go get his stuff. Yasha had told him that school was going to be neccessary at some point if he ever wanted to survive in a city, and she was usually right about this sort of thing... besides, he still had his old bookbag. Hmm. Shirt might also be a good idea. Never know when it's going to get cold, and then a tanktop just won't cut it alone.  
  
******  
  
"You're not marrying ME!" snarled Akane, not even looking up at Ranma, who was walking on the top of the water canal fence.  
  
"Okay." Came his reply.  
  
There was a pause while Akane tried to deal with such an unexpected response.  
  
She turned her head to glare at him somewhat less fiercely. "So don't hang around me in school!"  
  
"Don't WORRY!" Ranma replied, still not looking at Akane. "I can't STAND ma-"Ranma left off, mid-word.  
  
*What was that, Yasha?*  
  
*I said, calm down. I think she likes this even less than we do, and even if we don't wind up stuck marrying her, she's going to at least be our sister-in-law, most likely. We don't want to be on her bad side.*  
  
*You're awfully accepting of this, Yasha...*  
  
*Not really. I'm just giving it its chance. We agreed to the one-year thing, and I, for one, plan to stick to it. C'mon, how bad could it get? Besides, it's on at least your honor, if not mine.*  
  
* I suppose you have a point.*  
  
"I said, WHAT WAS THAT?!?!?!?!"  
  
Ranma nearly fell off the fence at the force of Akane's yell. "Huh?"  
  
"What was that you said?!"  
  
Ranma thought quickly. "I said, uh, that... that if ya can't stand me, then I won't bug ya any."  
  
*Nice save, Ranma!*  
  
*Thanks, Yasha.*  
  
Akane looked mollified. "Well, I mean, it's not you, it's this whole engagement thing. They didn't give me much of a choice about it. Just don't act too familiar, okay?"  
  
"Sure" came the nonchalant reply. "I hope you don't mind me saying it.... but, well, I think you're kinda a tomboy."  
  
"What," Akane began, belligerently, "are you saying I'm unfeminine??"  
  
"No, I jus-"  
  
THWAKK!!  
  
"Ite! Oyaji, what're you-"  
  
"You're in no position to be choosy about women! You're lucky the wimpy girl is even considering y-"  
  
SPLOOSH went Genma, finding himself in the canal with Akane's bookbag in his lap. And a bit of a bruise, too.  
  
Ranma and Yasha just laughed. The panda, seeing this, jumped up to the fence.  
  
*Good one, Akane!*  
  
"Nice shot, Akane! So, Oyaji, you were sayin' something?"  
  
The panda almost seemed to grin, before going down on all fours on the fence.  
  
"What're you-"  
  
Ranma was cut off as the panda shook itself violently, flinging water everywhere. Akane managed to step back out of range. Ranma wasn't so lucky. Neither was Yasha.  
  
There was a ripping sound as another pair of Ranma's boxers gained the addition of a tailhole. Ranma-Yasha winced at the slight pain from this, then fell off the fence as she lost her balance. She landed, fortunately, in the canal, and tread water, while glaring up at the panda, which seemed to be laughing.  
  
"Laughing all you like, Oyaji. How am I to school go, when I like this? Am registered as human, ne?"  
  
The panda blinked, swore to itself incomprehensibly, and turned to run back to the Dojo.  
  
Yasha just clambered out of the canal and over the fence, after adjusting her pants. A lot.  
  
Akane grimaced at the dripping demon. "C'mon, I know where to get hot water and it won't take so long."  
  
Ranma-Yasha couldn't help but notice that Akane now totally refused to look at her, and seemed a bit nervous, too. Sigh. A demon's lot is not a popular one.  
  
******  
  
Ranma-Yasha waited outside by the clinic sign, while Akane went in to get the water. Hopefully, noone would see her and try to "send the demon back to hell". She'd gotten plenty of that while traveling alone with her (sort- of) father.  
  
"Che. What a way to starting day. This not very-" She cut off when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with a skeleton. She was SO not in the mood for this. Her tail began to lash as she gave the skeleton her best vicious glare, and her quills stood up even further. "Grrrrrrrrrrr...."  
  
Touhuu went white. It was a full-blown demon! And not an extraterrestrial- type demon, a genuine pits-of-hell, burning brimstone demon with the vilest aura of..... humanity?? What the heck was going on here? He stood frozen until Yasha reached out and grabbed his Betty-chan by the skull.  
  
The damned skeleton would regret this. And whoever had animated it would.... oh. Let's see. Man holding skeleton. Man is... twenty- something, wearing a gi, has glasses on.... looks puzzled.  
  
"Please not do that again." Yasha ground out between clenched teeth.  
  
"Aheh..." Touhuu grinned nervously, noting the demon-girl's heavy accent. Sorry. Thats just my way of greeting new patients to Nerima. I hope Betty-chan didn't scare you?  
  
Yasha almost laughed. Skeleton's haven't ever scared me. Although, if your intent isn't to scare people, maybe you should lose the stiff when greeting them.  
  
Touhuu blinked. Gee, I.... never thought of it that way. I guess you're right. Although Betty-chan is useful for telling who has heart conditions. Hehehe... Touhuu had to laugh at his own joke, because Yasha was looking at him like he was stupid, and he had a vague feeling that he'd missed something obviously wrong with what he'd said.  
  
*This guy is not that bright.*  
  
*What makes you say that, Yasha?*  
  
*Ah... I'll explain later.*  
  
TONGGGG! Went the kettle as Akane put it down on Ranma-Yasha's head.  
  
"Ite." Sait Ranma-Yasha flatly, then looked back and forth between Akane and Touhuu.  
  
"You haven't been by lately, " began Touhuu. "No new injuries?"  
  
*What's up here? Akane's looking at him like...* thought Yasha.  
  
"No, sir." Akane replied, looking down slightly and blushing a bit. "I mean, I haven't been doing anything that would..." she trailed off.  
  
Yasha chuckled to herself as she poured the hot water on herself just out of sight.  
  
"Interesting." said Ranma. Then he looked at the giant clock on the far- off school. "Oh, crud! We're gonna be late!"  
  
******  
  
"Who was that guy?" Queried Ranma, as he and Akane ran towards the school at warp factor two.  
  
"You mean Touhuu-sensei? He's the local chiropractor, acupuncturist, general doctor... he does EVERYTHING around here."  
  
"Martial arts master too, right?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right! How could you tell?"  
  
"......lucky guess." said Ranma, keeping his thoughts to himself entirely.  
  
"True, he's very good. Doesn't look it, does he? Ever since I was little, he's taken care of my injuries."  
  
"Soo..." began Ranma, hopping off the fence to run alongside Akane.  
  
* Don't ask it, Ranma.*  
  
*Whaaat? What did I do?*  
  
*Nothing, but you were going to do something. Don't make assumptions, Ranma. Because, as a teacher of mine liked to say, when you assume, you make a jack Ass out of U and Me. And noone likes being a donkey.*  
  
*Okay, okay. I'll be more careful next time.*  
  
* Thank you.*  
  
"So, you like him, huh?" asked Ranma.  
  
This was one of those times when Yasha would have really liked to be able to hit Ranma over the head.  
  
"It's none of your business, pervert!"  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
*Where did THAT one come from?*  
  
"Why am I a pervert?" Ranma asked, avoiding the other question, namely, 'What's a pervert?' After all, if he made it look like he didn't know, maybe she'd think he was stupid, and that might get him in bad with possible future family.  
  
It should be noted that anyone above average intelligence has the tendency to occasionally make logic jumps that are generally totally incomprehensible to others. The smarter you are, the worse it gets.  
  
Which is why, when Yasha heard him think that, she simply shrugged it off and decided not to ask.  
  
"Because!" huffed Akane, accelerating to Warp Factor Three, " All boys are perverts!"  
  
They were nearing the school gates.  
  
"I...."  
  
Suddenly, a huge mass of male students appeared in the front yard of the school.  
  
"HATE....." Akane's voice grew gradually in volume.  
  
"I love you Akane!" "Don't let them beat you, you're mine!" "You must succumb to my Tango of Doom!" "I, Tuxedo Puck, the defender of Hockey, cannot let you be beaten by any other than myself!" " I shall push open the doors of your heart!"  
  
"MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Ranma jumped up and perched on the wall to one side of the gate as Akane dove into the crowd, sending hormone-crazed teenagers every which way. He looked on puzzledly, as people tried to defeat her with weapons, improvised weapons, and things which should never be used as improvised weapons. After all, anything as squishy as a bunch of bananas just wasn't effective. Especially when you slipped and fell on it before bringing it to bear. And then there was the guy trying to suffocate people with cheeze whiz. Right.  
  
Mayhem, thy name is Akane Tendo.  
  
Nabiki, looking out the window from her classroom, spotted Ranma. "RANMA! Get in this school! NOW!!"  
  
Ranma looked up, pointing in Akane's general direction, totally ignoring the gathering rainclouds. "But--"  
  
"Don't worry about Akane!"  
  
Sure enough, the sounds of mayhem had stopped, and Ranma looked at the carnage before him.  
  
*Ewww.* Said Yasha, in their mind. * I didn't think you could DO that with a shinai.... And the poor guy with the yoyo.... I hope they don't break the stomach pump.*  
  
"Every." huffed Akane, seeming to only get more worked up. "Single. Freaking. MORNING!"  
  
An object flew straight for Akane, who smashed the poor, innocent rose into the ground with her bookbag.  
  
"Such a boorish lot." Stated the tall, dark boy in the kendo hakama. "All intending to ask you out."  
  
Akane growled.  
  
Just a side note- in most Ranma universes, Ranma arrives at the Tendou Dojo on a certain day. This time, however, due to production delays (just kidding), he has arrived about a week later. When Akane is in the middle of "that time of month". It should also be noted that Kuno has a tendency to stay in the hospital for a day or two once every four weeks or so. When asked about this later, all Akane had to say was "I got overzealous."  
  
"Might you fight with me, Akane Tendo?"  
  
"Wow." Said Ranma, landing next to Akane. "You're popular, aint'cha?"  
  
"YOU!" shouted the kendoist, aiming his bokken at Ranma. "You are being very familiar with Akane. I would like to know..... WHY?"  
  
"Tell him, Akane."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Akane?"  
  
"Tell him WHAT?"  
  
Another pause. The tall dark kendoist is almost beginning to slaver as he loses patience.  
  
"Who ARE you, boor?!" Shouted the hakama-clad stick-wielding maniac. "But, wait!!" he continued, interrupting Ranma. " It is customary to give one's OWN name FIRST!! That is why you have paused! Very well, MINE I shall GIVE!!"  
  
*Loud nutball.* Commented Yasha.  
  
"Here we go again." Muttered Akane.  
  
"My name...." stated Kuno, doing a passable Captain Kirk pause-after-every- third-word-for-dramatic-purposes, "Is Upperclassman.... KUNO TATEWAKI!! But you.... you may call me.... Upperclassman! Captain..... of the Kendo Club..... Undefeated rising star.... of the high school fencing world.... I am known as...."  
  
Really big dramatic pause.  
  
" AOIRO IKAZUCHI!" (Blue Thunder)  
  
Ranma nearly fell over. "Did you just call yourself..."  
  
Another dramatic pause.  
  
" YAOI RO ITTKATSU CHI???" (Roaring Gay Earth Oar)  
  
Everyone in the school, Akane, Kuno, and a few of the less-unconscious boys lying on the field performed a massive flying group facefault.  
  
Ranma looked puzzled, trying to figure out why Kuno would call himself that.  
  
Yasha was laughing her metaphysical head off.  
  
"No, you fool! The BLUE THUNDER! BLUE THUNDER!!!!!" Shouted Kuno, red with rage and embarrasment.  
  
Ranma snorted. "Whatever you say, Mr. Shoutin' Gay Dirt Paddle. Anyways, I'm stayin' at the Tendo Dojo..."  
  
"What?!" Interrupted Kuno, Nabiki having been too busy laughing to interrupt and ask about his old "shooting star" nickname. "Under the same roof as AKANE?!"  
  
Kuno attacked as fast as he could.  
  
In other words, not nearly fast enough, as Ranma backflipped out of the way. He tried to throw his bag to Akane, but missed because she had fallen over and was rolling on the ground, laughing.  
  
He continued midair. "I'm heir t' the Musabetsou Kaketou Saotome Ryu..." Then he landed, and finished, taking a ready stance. "Saotome Ranma! And I accept your challenge!"  
  
__________________________________________  
  
Just a note: Other than "yaoi", yes, "Yaoi ro ittkatsu chi" means (literally) "(gay? Not quite sure...) oar roaring earth". I translate it a little bit loosely for this purpose. Don't ask how I thought of that. I'm not too sure myself. 


	5. Book One, Chapter 4: Of Spelling Mistake...

"Hey!" Exclaimed Hiroshi, looking out the window as he wiped away the tears of laughter. "I think that guy's gonna fight Kuno! Ahehehehe...."  
  
Daisuke just kept laughing. "Roaring gay....! Ahahahahahahaaaaa..... Dirty Gay Paddle! Bwahahahahaaaa!"  
  
A floor down, Nabiki had finally regained her composure, aside from the amused grin that was an extension of her smirk. "I sure hope Ranma knows what he's getting into. Heheh. Mmph. Roaring Gay. Heheh. Too much."  
  
One of the seniors on the second floor, in the classroom below Nabiki's, nearly fell out the window as he was gasping for breath. As his friends pulled him back in, still laughing themselves, all he could gasp out was "Priceless.... Kuno's face.... heeeeeee...."  
  
"Aheheheheheh... Snap... ahah... snap out of it, Goro.... heeheehee.... Don' wanna have to clean... ahah... ya up offa the ground.... haha.... under the window.....heh..."  
  
Obviously, the mere thought of Kuno Tatewaki being gay was just too much for everyone in the school. That and the expression on his face when he'd heard that Ranma character call him the "Roaring Gay Earth Oar". Several of the students could have sworn Kuno had turned green all over at the thought, not just in the face. Even if the poor sap got pulverized by Kuno, it was worth it to have the similarity pointed out.  
  
"Scoundrel! Taunting the Blue Thunder and hounding the beauteous Tendou Akane! It shall not be allowed! I, Upperclassman Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High-" Here, Kuno raised his bokken, and lightning streaked down a short distance away, ripping off a perfectly timed peal of thunder- "Shall bring you to JUSTICE!!!"  
  
*Ranma, aheheheh... It's gonna rain soon. Heeheeheehee.... Get this over with, will ya?*  
  
Ranma just couldn't understand what was so funny.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 4: Of spelling mistakes and coloured gas.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to those others who have gone before, doing obvious SI... and not falling into the traps.  
  
Warning: I borrow stuff. From everywhere. I'm not trying to plagiarize or anything. Deal with it. Oh, and enjoy this fanfiction.  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, my. These aren't mine. I shall have to give them back, as soon as I am done with them. Ah, wait. Some of these are mine. Well, at least they aren't anyone else's.... I shall just keep ahold of them unless someone else can claim them. Enjoy this!  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* *= Internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
Â§ Â§ = Is this joke getting old yet?  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
"So who's HOUNDING anyone?!" Asked Ranma.  
  
"Mmph." said Akane, getting up and trying not to giggle. Kuno. Gay. "Mmpheeheeheemmph." Poor Ranma was gonna get his head handed to him. Oh well.  
  
*Neat trick he did with the lightning, though, you have to admit.*  
  
*True enough, Yasha.*  
  
"Pay attention, fool!" Shouted Tatewaki, as he charged in, intent on splitting this scoundrel's skull in two vertically.  
  
CHUNGGG!  
  
Darned wall was in the way anyways.  
  
Tatewaki, the noble samurai (Yeah right.), Turned to look where he had caught a flicker of motion with the corner of his eye. Target confirmed, he swiftly brought his weapon of divine vengence (read: wooden kendo stick) to bear, attempting again to injure this foul, physics-defying knave.  
  
HWHAK!  
  
Well... that tree had always obstructed his view of the scenic horizon when he was in class. It was just as well.  
  
"Excuse me, excuse me.." said Ranma, landing on the other side of the felled part of the tree. "Let's just get this straight here...."  
  
Kuno jumped back as Ranma practically appeared right in his face. "Akane and I have NO interest at ALL in each other."  
  
'Amazing...' thought Akane, watching. 'He's better than I thought! He was there before Kuno could blink! Maybe he really is that much better than me!'  
  
"She means NOTHING to me!" Shouted Ranma, backing the Killer Krazed Kendoist up as he yelled. "I have no interest in such a hot-tempered TOMBOY!!"  
  
"Ranmaaa...." Akane growled, hefting a handy shot dropped by a member of the shot put team when she'd sprained his wrist. "Nooo HENTAI!!!!" And with that, she put the shot put people to shame.  
  
"Dammit, Akane, quit calling me- oop-" Ranma jumped out of the way of Kuno's bokken, which would soon meet the steel shot.  
  
"Speaking ill of Akane!" Yelled Kuno, swinging violently. "I FORB-"  
  
KRANNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRUNCH  
  
"Yiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi" Said the vibrating Tatewaki as he shook, his bokken destroyed in the middle, the end hanging by a few splinters of wood and shaking more violently than he himself.  
  
The shot, of course, rebounded and bounced, quickly embedding itself in the wall. Good luck getting THAT one back.  
  
"Wow. Kuno-chan should try out for baseball." Stated Nabiki, somewhat awed. "Ought to work on that follow-through, though."  
  
Tatewaki had tried out for baseball. He hadn't liked it, though, and had merely accepted it when they kicked him off. He really didn't understand. If the pitcher hit him with a ball going that fast, why wasn't it okay to hit the pitcher with the bat? He hadn't seen any rules against it in the book....  
  
If it wasn't already obvious, the Kunos are not known for common sense. But then, if you know much about them, you already knew that.  
  
Ranma had decided. The Gay Thunder... or was it Blue Paddle? Roaring Earth? Whatever. The manic kendoist was going to take a nap now.  
  
Kuno had other ideas, dropping his bokken and pulling another from his pants (don't ask) to use against the three of Ranma. Thunder struck somewhere nearby.  
  
Time seemed to pause.  
  
Ranma, midair, with his hand out, first two fingers pointing at Kuno's forehead from an inch away.  
  
Kuno, lucky enough this one time to have struck out at the real Ranma, despite the two others swimming in his vision.  
  
The panda at the gates with a steaming kettle, running straight for Ranma, with an oddly relieved expression on his face.  
  
....panda?  
  
Time, confused, forgot and hit the pause button again, and everything resumed. The panda plowed through Kuno, knocking him aside and grabbing Ranma just in time for the change to happen. Then it ran into the building.  
  
"Wow." "Cool." "Just one blow!" "Heheh... Roaring gay earth oar" "Um, 'Roshi? It wasn't that funny." "That's a real strong panda."  
  
Murmurs ran through the school and rumors about gay pandas and kettles knocking out Kuno with one hit ran rampant as people went to go start their classes.  
  
******  
  
Genma-Panda sweated as he checked from the PE Equipment closet to see if they had been spotted.  
  
"Stupid rain. If not water, stupid kendoist be pushing up daisies."  
  
"Ah, I wouldn't be so sure..." Said Akane, crouching on the sill as she opened the window, careful not to look directly at Ranma-Yasha.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Your throat."  
  
Ranma-Yasha lifted a hand to her neck. "So itching a bit, I..." Then she saw the small amount of soft-pink blood on her hand. "A cut? No, is... ah... how to say... " friction "burn. Cut not itch. I going need piece cotton and bandage, maybe.."  
  
Genma-Panda poured the water, relieved to have the demonic visage removed from sight.  
  
"Wow. An' he didn't even touch me. He's better'n I woulda thought f'r a hobbyist."  
  
"If he HAD, " Akane turned to face the now-human Ranma, "You'd be breathing through a hole in your neck. Almost even match, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Maybe..." Said Ranma, enigmatically, rubbing the now-bruise on his neck.  
  
******  
  
"Hmmmm..." Hmmmmed Kuno Tatewaki, looking in a borrowed mirror.  
  
What, you thought HE of all people would have owned a mirror bordered with pink ribbon bas-relief?  
  
The esteemed samurai.... ah... wannabe swordsman... was examining the print on his forehead.  
  
"Halfwited Nimrud" it read, in passable English characters.  
  
"Amazing." Said Nabiki, watching him. "And you don't even remember him touching you?"  
  
"Hmph." Hmphed Tatewaki, now in uniform, as he returned the mirror to Mitsuki, who was watching mutely. "And at first I thought he might be GOOD! But he can't spell English at all!"  
  
He stepped over to the blackboard, taking up a piece of chalk.  
  
"THIS is how you spell it!"  
  
SKREEK SKREEK  
  
The chalkboard now read "Hahhuwettid Nemuroddu" in English.  
  
"Actually, Kuno-chan, it's spelled like this."  
  
Tatewaki looked over at the board near Nabiki.  
  
Her writing read "Halfwitted Nimrod" in English. In cursive. With decorative chibi-Tatewakis, all wearing dunce-caps, dancing around it. He could tell they were him, because each was saying something like "The Roaring Gay Knows How To Tango!" in Japanese.  
  
Kuno looked blandly at Nabiki. "I despise you."  
  
"I'm so glad." Stated Nabiki, equally blandly.  
  
******  
  
"Well, Saotome-san... Though you have spent the last while in China, this does not excuse your being late, even with the dirty gay panda incident."  
  
Ranma and Akane both blinked slowly.  
  
"Also late, " continued the teacher, oblivious to the fact-twisting pulled by the rumor mill, "Was Akane Tendou. Both of you take buckets and stand in the hall."  
  
******  
  
"This is all your fault." Stated Akane, not too angrily. She was still trying to keep a straight face over Kuno's new name.  
  
"MY fault? How is it MY fault that YOUR fight slowed us down?"  
  
"....yes, but every morning, I manage to finish MY fight BEFORE first bell rings." She replied, a little more hotly.  
  
*Hey, Ranma... ya wanna ask her what all that was about, hopefully before she gets mad again?*  
  
*I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it...*  
  
"What was all that about, anyways? I'VE never gotten people attacking me while declaring love before."  
  
Portentious words.  
  
"At the beginning of the school year.." began Akane, sighing and looking downcast, "Kuno announced at the beginning of the school speech tournament..."  
  
((FLASHBACK))  
  
"Anyone wishing to take Akane Tendou out on a date, must defeat her for permission! I, Tatewaki Kuno, the Shooting Star of Furinkan High, will permit no other terms! Anyone attempting to break them must answer to ME!"  
  
((END FLASHBACK))  
  
"And they LISTENED????"  
  
*What the hell kinda stupid thing is that to TELL everyone, anyways? I don't know about you, but that seems kinda dishonorable to me, saying something like that about her without her permission.*  
  
*Hadn't thought of that, Yasha...*  
  
"Well, Kuno IS the Kendo team captain, and they're the top martial arts club here..."  
  
"Why didn'tcha tell 'em he was wrong, anyways? I mean, he didn' ask ya about it first, did he?"  
  
******  
  
"So, anyway, Kuno-chan, " Nabiki whispered, keeping her eyes on the board. "Our fathers, after everything was sorted out, engaged Ranma to Akane, Ka-"  
  
Nabiki cut off when she realized that the seat next to her was now empty and on its side, and the classroom door was open.  
  
"Chikushou. He didn't get the whole story. Well, I'm sure Akane can get him to listen."  
  
"Ah.... Tendou-san?" Mr. Yamada asked, looking a bit surprised. "You wouldn't happen to know what set Kuno-san off this time, would you? Oh, and after you answer, take some buckets and go stand in the hall, please. Next time, don't talk while I'm giving a lecture."  
  
"Yeah, sure." Grumbled Nabiki. Stupid Kuno-chan.  
  
******  
  
"And this happens every single morning, too?"  
  
"Yeah..." said Akane, thoughtfully. "Kuno too... but I always win, somehow."  
  
*Oh boy. Major snag.* Said Yasha. The girl wasn't actually better than Kuno, even she could see that. This spelled trouble with a capital T.  
  
"Well... " Ranma trailed off, remembering his promise to Yasha to think first next time.  
  
"Well, what??"  
  
"It's just... most other men, when they fight a girl, go easy... "  
  
Akane fumed. "What do you mean 'other men'? When we sparred before, you wouldn't even try to hit me! Don't underestimate me!"  
  
"No, no no..." Had his hands been free, Ranma would have been waving them defensively. "You've got it all wrong! I mean, look at what you have to deal with every morning... It's good practice, but it's obvious that you're used to opponents who concentrate on striking you at any cost. Also at fighting multiple opponents."  
  
Akane, for once, shut up and listened. This sounded like it was going somewhere.  
  
"I mean, what would you do if one of them started acting like I did in our sparring match? All of those guys in the morning attack first, putting you on the response. You need to learn how to initiate it, so you don't get pulled into a trap if you ever DO have to."  
  
*Wow.* Yasha was impressed. *You put a lot more thought than usual into this, Ranma. You've learned to think much faster. Congratulations.*  
  
*Well, I try.*  
  
"...." Akane was trying to find something to object to in what he'd said. The problem was, for a boy, he was being very reasonable. And not at all perverted, either... He was just standing there, looking thoughtfully out the window on the other side of the hall.  
  
Satan, on the other hand, was pulling out a snow shovel and cursing.  
  
"Yah!" shouted Ranma, jumping the sudden splash of water towards him. If he were to change here, Yasha might not make it, especially with Kuno right there to see the "demon"....  
  
Akane wasn't quite as fast, and got doused.  
  
Kuno, in his typical hyper-focused state, didn't notice at all.  
  
"What the?" Rhetorically asked Ranma, carefully landing OUT of the water, then got a better look at Kuno. Who was soaked. And Nabiki down the hall with the fire hose, trying to get Kuno's attention. Her buckets were sitting by her feet.  
  
"Nabiki?" Queried Akane, too surprised to get mad at her moistening yet.  
  
"I SHALL NEVER ALLOW YOUR ENGAGEMENT TO AKANE, VILE CUR!!"  
  
Akane had just enough time to mutter "Kuso."  
  
"WHAT?? Engagement?!" "How COULD you, Akane??" "I thought you HATED boys!!" "Wait, which one of you is engaged to Akane?" "I bet it's the new kid! Ramen whats-his-name!"  
  
"That's RANMA, you idi-whoop-"  
  
Ranma was getting annoyed. Would he never be allowed to finish an important sentence around here? And what was it with water around here? Not to mention, how did Kuno slice a metal bucket CLEANLY with a wooden stick? That cut it. He was going to go outside where he could get some room, and teach this nimwit a lesson.  
  
"Stand your ground, coward!" Shouted Kuno, giving chase.  
  
"We can't fight in here with all these people! Follow me!" Yelled Ranma to the lunatic Kendoist.  
  
"I follow eagerly to inflict a thrashing!" Replied Tatewaki.  
  
Ranma spied an open window, and moved to it.  
  
"What are you doing, Ranma?" Asked Nabiki, as he passed her.  
  
*Let's see if he's tough enough to follow me HERE...*  
  
*I wouldn't think so, Ranma... otherwise, he'd have done better against you earlier...*  
  
"Here, let's go this way! It's faster!" Called back Ranma, jumping through the window.  
  
"That I shall!" Stated Kuno, eyes only on Ranma, following him closely.  
  
"Wait!" Shouted Nabiki. She didn't want to marry him, but she didn't exactly like the idea of a dead Ranma smeared across school grounds... "This is the third floor!"  
  
"No sweat, I'm...." Ranma left off as he looked down. "Aw, chikushou."  
  
*Yasha, this is gonna hurt.*  
  
Yasha just braced herself as best she could without physically existing.  
  
Had Ranma looked back up a little, he would have seen Kuno's eyes bug out almost as far at the drop as they had at the whole "Thundering Gay Dirt Oar" thing.  
  
SPLASHHHHHH!!!!!  
  
Yasha had just enough time in control before blacking out to bubble out an underwater "Ow."  
  
******  
  
Akane winced.  
  
"Look!" sait Hiroshi, pointing at the pool. "The Burbling Fruity Muddy Stick is floating to the top!"  
  
Akane winced again, wondering where THAT one came from.  
  
"And what happened to Ranma?"  
  
Akane ran for some hot water.  
  
******  
  
Kuno floated a little higher in the water as Yasha's unconscious form floated up into him, providing enough support to lift him some from buoyancy.  
  
Yasha came to suddenly, almost gasping in a lungful of water, before heaving herself high enough in the water to drag a draught of air. Odd, treading water wasn't usually this difficult.  
  
Oh. A deranged kendoist resting on your head WOULD make it harder. That and feeling like you'd been ironed all down your front.  
  
Then Kuno came to, and she revised her statement to read "A deranged, kendoistic octopus-man."  
  
"RANMA SAOTOME! I FIGHT ON!"  
  
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Shrieked Yasha, mostly in pain, but some in mortification, and in fear of being found out.  
  
This wasn't very good.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------  
  
I have been informed that Yasha, as I described her, resembles the character Inu-Yasha from another of Takahashi-sama's manga. This is not intentional, and not as true as it seems. I beg to remind that when I said Yasha had "pointed ears", I was going more for elf-like than animal-like.  
  
Oh, well. 


	6. Book One, Chapter 5: It sucks to Succubu...

"I... Fight... ......"  
  
Kuno almost left off, miffed at the sudden softness Saotome had gained, and the strange change in his opponent's hair.  
  
"...On??"  
  
Yasha howled as Kuno accidentally wrenched at something both sensitive and already hurting.  
  
"AAAH! Let GO!!!!"  
  
"Eh??" was all Kuno managed to get out before catching an elbow in his face as Yasha spun in place in the pool, and then a double-fist over the head as she started to back away through the water.  
  
"DEMON!!" shouted the imbecelic kendoist, practically jumping back in the water. "My bokken! Where is my weapon??"  
  
Yasha, eyes teared with pain and anger (damn, but hitting the water had hurt), took the opportunity to duck underwater and swim rapidly to the edge of the pool. As she climbed out, she glanced back to see Tatewaki heading straight for his bokken, which was slowly floating away from him. He'd have caught up to it soon...  
  
She took the opportunity to make a break for the treeline when Kuno wasn't looking. Maybe she could get out of sight before he got his hands on that stick of his.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 5: It sucks to Succubus.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to people who have used old ideas in new ways.  
  
Warning: Okay. I borrowed things. If they're yours, you can have them back when I'm done with them. And yes, I'll be careful not to break them, get them dirty, or misuse them. Don't worry, if I borrowed it from you, it's because I liked it a lot.  
  
Disclaimer: I, the Purple and Green Angel of the Internet, am so misfortunate as to not own most of the characters that will appear herein. Oh, what a foul thing, that such inventive humor should not belong to me! I, the rising star of the college fanfiction world, shall strive to own ALL of my loves! For I cannot decide! They are all so beauteous!  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Ignoring the pain running all down her front, and the large bruise forming on one breast, Yasha hopped, leapt and ran through the bushes at the edges of the school grounds, trying to make her way around to the gate.  
  
Akane followed, warm kettle in hand, wondering how someone so unskilled at martial arts as Ranma was when he was like this, could move so quickly across very uneven ground.  
  
Yasha came to a screeching halt as Kuno jumped into the bushes just ahead of her, turning to face her with bokken raised from the only open spot in that direction.  
  
"Fool!" he crowed triumphantly. "You thought I would not see how you were trying to escape? I have deduced your true nature, Saotome!"  
  
She blinked, forgetting her panic for a moment as she wondered why, if the kendoist had figured it out, why he was still pursuing her.  
  
"Now, vile succubus, you shall perish for attempting to seduce the wonderous Akane!"  
  
Ah, there it was. Taking a new grip on her panic, Yasha grabbed it and ran, out into the field. She was ten feet out before she felt a sharp pain in her side and found herself flying sideways five feet, to land on her back.  
  
Apparently, Kuno was faster than she was.  
  
******  
  
Somewhere in the bushes, Akane cursed and tried to free her school dress from the nest of brambles Yasha had dodged around.  
  
******  
  
Grimacing in pain, Yasha got to her feet just in time to jump back as Kuno's overhanded swing lodged his bokken in the ground. Seeing that she couldn't get away from this one, she ran straight for the kendoist, attempting to get to him before he could retrieve his weapon.  
  
Just as Tatewaki raised his bokken overhead with the force of having wrenched it from the ground, Yasha slammed headfirst into his stomach. And kept going.  
  
Ten feet later, she fell over forward onto him, already pounding him with her small fists.  
  
By this time, a small crowd had gathered in front of the school doors and was growing. Nabiki, at the forward edge, looked around for Akane. She had gone to get some hot water, but where was she? Shouldn't she be here already, helping Ranma? It was obvious that the small demon-girl stood very little chance against the Blue Thunder, and that was uninjured. The soft pink stain on the side of her oversized white shirt and the angry red color of her face and arms made it obvious that she wasn't in peak condition.  
  
Kuno shoved the demon off of him, barely noticing the light pink stain that had spread onto his white shirt a little.  
  
"You shall not take me, foul demon! You wretched, whoreson beast! I shall destroy you!" he shouted, swinging sideways and just missing as she rolled backwards.  
  
It is a little known fact that many people have tempers just as bad as Akane's. The main difference being that most of these people have considerably more control than Akane does. Yasha was one of them, and her control had just reached its limit.  
  
Yasha half-stood, crouched, and growling. Her tail lashed rapidly as she glared at Kuno with hard crimson eyes. Her growl turned into a snarling sort of quiet roar as she charged at Kuno, no longer wanting anything other than to hurt this one who had hurt her.  
  
Kuno swung his bokken, and hit her in the side of the head, knocking her to the side. As Yasha started to get up, he charged right back at her swinging his weapon in an overhead blow designed for maximum force. To his surprise, she caught the blow on her forearm.  
  
KRAKK!  
  
Several people watching turned green at the sound, and Nabiki, no longer willing to wait for Akane, ran to get some warm water herself, lest Ranma get himself killed. Had Kuno been merely trying to pound Ranma for calling him names, she would have been fine with it. But she wasn't about to let him KILL Ranma.  
  
Bracing her arm against the bokken which the kendoist was still pressing down on forcefully, Yasha swiveled under the weapon and lashed out with a one-footed mule-kick, catching Kuno in the gut. With a whooshing sound of escaping breath, he fell back, sitting down. Turning the rest of the way around, Yasha leapt straight for him, lashing out with both hands, despite the distinct possibility of one arm being broken. She was beyond caring, running on adrenaline now. The shallow cuts on her side and arm weren't helping any, but she still managed to club Kuno upside the head with one arm, wrapping the other about his shoulder.  
  
With a ferocity that stunned even Ranma, watching from inside her head, she took the opportunity to bite down on Kuno's shoulder. Hard.  
  
"Aarrh!" Exclaimed Kuno, in pain. He reached up with his free hand, grabbing the small girl by the throat and trying to pry her off of him. He winced as she put her knee in his groin at the same time as she continued to tighten her jaws with impressive force. Blood ran from where her fangs had punctured his hakama and skin.  
  
Soon, however, her grip weakened from lack of oxygen, and Kuno was able to pry her off and throw her back.  
  
Slowly, Yasha started to get up, as Kuno stood, lopsided, bloodied shoulder turned away from Yasha.  
  
They both stood, breathing heavily, Kuno slowly bleeding from the shoulder, and Yasha bloodied on her side, with some of Kuno's blood smeared across her face.  
  
Glaring, Kuno decided it was time for his special technique. His opponent obviously warrented such an action. Her ferocity was.. astounding, almost disturbing, even for a demon.  
  
He ran straight at her as she braced herself, tail still lashing quickly.  
  
"Thousand strikes! YATATATATATATATATATATA!!"  
  
Yasha found herself being hit all over. Very, very hard. Time seemed to slow down, and it took her forever to be thrown out of range of the attack and it's waves of air pressure.  
  
Kuno sagged. That had been much harder with one hand. He watched the half- conscious demon fly back almost twelve feet, to land on her front, unmoving aside from an occasional twitch in her tail. Obviously, the foul succubus was still alive. He would have to fix that, now.  
  
The small demon-girl lay there, now bleeding from her nose and mouth as well, hurting in places she didn't even know she had owned to hurt in.  
  
*Well, Ranma.... I guess this is it.... It's been nice knowing you...*  
  
*No, Yasha. NO. It won't be. Not after all I've done in my life, I won't be beaten by some arrogant, stick-wielding, MORON! I won't allow it!* Ranma tried to move their body, but it simply wouldn't budge.  
  
*Give it up, man.... Sometimes, Ranma, there's just nothing you can-*  
  
Yasha cut off to scream in pain as Kuno stomped on her tail with an audible CRUNCH.  
  
"Now, foul demon, vile succubus from the pits of hell, you shall *urk*"  
  
This time, Kuno was cut off, by an enraged Akane, who had hit him in the head with the kettle. VERY HARD. Warm water was wasted, splashed all across Kuno, as he was sent flying to the left a good fifteen feet. As the kendoist got to his feet, Nabiki clubbed him over the head with her own hot- water kettle. Kuno went back down, but kept trying to get up. Panicked, lest he start beating on poor Ranma again, Akane ran over with the mangled kettle in hand, and bashed him over the head five more times. And then another three for good measure. Nabiki, still surprised at having hit Kuno with a kettle like that, merely watched.  
  
This time, the kendoist got the hint and fell unconscious.  
  
Akane and Nabiki ran over to Ranma-Yasha, to take her to the second place they could think of: Doctor Touhuu's clinic. (The first place they'd thought of was the hospital, but that wouldn't have worked at all. For mostly obvious reasons.)  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Ono Touhuu looked down at the barely-conscious demon-girl lying on his examination table. If what Akane said was true, and it probably was, with Nabiki backing it up...  
  
Then this very female, rather small demon was actually a highly trained male martial artist of considerably greater size. And if she WAS male, then having Akane and Nabiki around...  
  
Besides, those two were looking slightly ill.  
  
"Ah... Ranma? Would you like Akane and Nabiki to leave?"  
  
Ranma-Yasha nodded weakly.  
  
Relieved, Akane and Nabiki ran for Touhuu's bathroom, presumably to donate their breakfasts to the local sewer system.  
  
Examining his patient, Touhuu set to step one: reading the patient's aura and making them feel at ease. Maybe with a more detailed examination of Ranma's aura, he could figure out what exactly it was that had been bugging him before about it.  
  
"So, you've been learning martial arts from your father, have you?"  
  
Ranma-Yasha snorted.  
  
"Oyaji teach.... only Ranma..." She whispered out. "Not me... Say demon should.... not learn from him... wouldn't teach..."  
  
Ah. There it was. There was an extra layer...  
  
"Oh, that's right. Your father thinks a demon has taken over your cursed form, or something along those lines."  
  
She laughed softly at this, then winced, barely restraining the impulse to curl up into a ball.  
  
Why haven't... you started yet?... According to.... Akane, you... can work wonders...  
  
She was interrupted as Touhuu exclaimed in surprise.  
  
Ahah! Well, whoever you are, because you definitely aren't Ranma, I'm not familiar with your... demon, I'd suppose... physiology.  
  
Yasha blinked. You... can tell?  
  
Of course. Stated Touhuu, nodding his head sagely. You have two auras, and one of them has been suppresed to your head. Given what the others have told me, this "Ranma" is in control when it's his body, and you're in control when it's your body. Am I right?  
  
*Well, Ranma, looks like the secret is out, at least as far as the good doctor's concerned... May as well admit it, yes?*  
  
*I suppose so. Just, get him not to tell anyone else.*  
  
Yes, doctor.. you're right. I don't suppose... you could... not tell anyone.... about this? I... I mean, it's.... not like I mean... Ranma any harm... Heck, I'm not sure.... how I got here... Okay?  
  
Well, I suppose so, though you're going to have to tell somebody. You can't keep this sort of thing a secret forever.  
  
Yasha sighed slightly. I guess. I could.... use someone to... talk to, too... Y'know, get a... load off, and... all that. Couldja... get to it already? Even if... I'm not gonna die.... it sure feels like it...  
  
Okay. Be warned, this may hurt. And I won't lie to you, if it does, it will hurt a LOT. I've got to find out what's broken.  
  
******  
  
Akane and Nabiki, having returned to the waiting room in the clinic, winced at the screams of a demon-girl in pain. Occasionally they would cast slightly horrified, sympathetic glances at each other.  
  
******  
  
"Pink blood? Isn't that interesting. Here, let's just put some antiseptic on that gash in your side..."  
  
******  
  
After a particularly loud one (YES that rib hurt, and NO it did NOT feel good when he pushed on it like that from that side there), Akane made up her mind and turned to Nabiki, who was starting to turn a bit green at the gills again.  
  
"Ah, Nabiki? Maybe you should head home, tell our family and Mr. Saotome what happened... Maybe get them prepared for this. Just... don't have them come here, alright?"  
  
Eager to get away from the blood-curdling screams, Nabiki nodded quickly, grabbed her bag, and walked at a decorous pace out of the clinic. Wouldn't do to look panicked.  
  
Akane remained in the seat, trying to read a magazine, and failing miserably as she often winced hard enough to turn pages.  
  
******  
  
"ITAIIIII!"  
  
"And THAT's broken, TOO?? My, that's quite a workover you got. It's a wonder your face isn't damaged. Hmm. THAT doesn't look quite right... let's see..."  
  
The next few words out of Yasha's mouth were generally unprintable.  
  
******  
  
Akane stood up as the door opened, the screams having ceased a good ten minutes previously.  
  
Out stepped Yasha, on a crutch, with her left leg and right arm in casts, and a neck brace. There was an obvious bulge of bandaging about her midsection and ribs, and a splint on a section of her tail. The whole thing couldn't be splinted, it had a tendency to try to lash and wind up smacking against everything. She kept her jaw mostly closed, on account of it having a fracture all to itself (joy.). Most of the rest of her was bandaged, and Touhuu was helping her along.  
  
Akane stepped over to Ranma-Yasha quickly, taking Touhuu's place. This made things considerably easier for the smaller girl, as Akane, while still much taller than her, was more of a size to her than the rather tall doctor.  
  
"Okay, Akane, here's how it goes: Normally, for such extensive injuries, I would recommend a hospital stay of about a month or more. But, for pretty apparent reasons, that's not possible. Among other things, the government would probably try to take Ya- uh, Ranma here away for "research". So, Ranma's going to have to take it easy for a month at least, I would think. That means no martial arts, no dancing, no running, no leaving the house. Furthermore, you must avoid triggering the curse by any means necessary. There's no telling what will happen if you do. It may even kill Ranma, by causing a broken rib to spear something vital. So NO WARM FLUIDS are to be allowed ANYWHERE NEAR Ranma."  
  
Akane nodded emphatically as Ranma-Yasha looked a bit glum. Ranma might be okay with being stuck in the back of their head for a month, but it still felt wrong to do that to him.  
  
"Here are some painkillers that ought to work alright on her, although I'm not entirely sure. Regardless, just to be safe, and I told Ranma this too, she gets at most one every four hours. No more. After a month, Ranma is to return here, with someone along to help get here, and I'll open the casts and examine her again. The bandages should be replaced every day, preferably every 16 hours or so, but every day should be alright. I need someone to stay near her at all times, because she won't be able to get up if she falls down without risking hurting herself further. Understood?" Asked the doctor, handing Akane a large medical box of bandages after putting a medically-labeled bottle in it.  
  
"Yes, doctor." Chorused Akane and Ranma-Yasha, unintentionally in unison.  
  
"Okay, go on home, and hopefully I won't need to see you again for a month."  
  
******  
  
Yasha limped down the street, leaning on a crutch and an Akane for support.  
  
"I'm very sorry," apologized Akane, "I should have warned you about Kuno. Still, it wasn't very smart jumping into the swimming pool like that.."  
  
"So I not see it. Was accident."  
  
"Oh, come on. Like you could have survived a three-story drop onto concrete?"  
  
"As male, I could, yes."  
  
Akane neglected to comment.  
  
******  
  
"That's what I'm TELLING you! He WAS a she at the time! And Kuno was trying to KILL HER! He thought she was a demon, and I'm dead sure he broke at least her arm!"  
  
"Tadaima!" Called out Akane as she and Ranma-Yasha stepped into the house. The next thing the two of them saw was a bucket full of probably hot water flying towards them.  
  
Both of them said the strongest four-letter profanity they could think of in their native language.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Okay, it's been pointed out that a few things I do are different from how they are in canon. Tough. This isn't canon. Second, Yes, I know some of my name spellings are straight Romaji, while others are the accepted canon translations. I just went with whatever I felt looked best. Third off, in the manga, Akane DOES say "I hate men" just before charging into the Hormone Herd outside Furinkan. I know, I know, she only hates immature males, and that's why most people put "I hate BOYS". But when you're pissed off, you tend to lose track of small discrepancies like that. I'm sorry it offended you so much that I do these things. If they detract that much from reading this, then go ahead and stop reading it. It won't hurt me any, and besides, how will I know?  
  
Anyways, please send more criticism of the constructive kind instead. Just saying I did something wrong in your opinion or that what I wrote is boring or just the same as something else is NOT CONSTRUCTIVE. Feel free to make suggestions, although I will warn you that I probably won't use very many of them. I have my view of the Ranmaverse based on my readings and such, and everyone else has theirs. I can change my mind and probably will if someone comes up with something good, but I know what I think so far. Everyone is welcome to their own interperetation.  
  
I hadn't expected to be plowing my way through this quite so quickly, but inspiration will strike when inspiration strikes, ne?  
  
Jaa, matta ashita! 


	7. Book One, Chapter 6: Things Start to Loo...

Akane quickly put herself in front of Ranma-Yasha, shielding her from most of the water. The smaller girl's quills got a bit wet, but that was all.  
  
Skin red from the heat of the water, Akane charged towards the gaping Genma, who was posed after-throw, empty bucket in hands, and shoved him up against the wall.  
  
"What are you trying to do, KILL your SON??" She screamed in his face.  
  
Souun decided to listen to what his daughter had to say. She usually didn't get this mad when she was in the house, it must be something serious.  
  
Nabiki stepped quickly over to Ranma-Yasha, to help her into the house proper from the genkan.  
  
Genma asserted his right to stand on his own feet, and attempted to look serious.  
  
Yasha wondered why Genma looked constipated, then returned to her quiet conversation with Nabiki, en route to the family room.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 6: The Future Begins To Look Hazy  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to new writers, and writing as well as you can.  
  
Warning: Just in case you haven't read this enough times, I borrow stuff. From all sorts of people. It's not plagiarism, I don't do it exactly the same. I hope.  
  
Disclaimer: They AREN'T MINE, you bakas! Stop chasing me around about it! I never asked for them! You hear me? THEY'RE ALL PERVERTED JERKS! Who's a tomboy? RANMA NO BAKA!!! WHAM  
  
Key:  
  
=English  
  
" " =Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
(AN: No, Yasha's current name isn't permanent.)  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"I was merely preparing to retrain my son!" Genma exclaimed, ignoring the entity in question entirely. "If a high school kendoist can beat him, it's obvious I've been lax in my training!" He nodded solemnly for emphasis, then discovered that it was rather difficult to nod a second time with someone's forearm lodged against his throat.  
  
"You idiot!!" Shouted Akane, her head seeming to inflate slightly. "YOUR SON WAS YOUR DAUGHTER AT THE TIME!!! You know perfectly well she can't defend herself against a martial artist, she doesn't know any martial arts like that at all! When are you going to wise up, and accept that when he's a girl, Ranma doesn't KNOW martial arts?!?"  
  
Souun's eyes began to water, Akane was reminding him of himself, the first time he had managed a full blown demon's-head. It had been wonderful, the way it had actually surprised the Master...  
  
"But," Rationalized the fat man in the (newly-stained) white gi, "That's not my son! That's a demon who's taken control of his alternate body! Demons are bad enough, imagine what she'd do if I taught HER martial arts! She's just a demon who wants to learn my martial arts and get even stronger! That's why she looks like sheurk...."  
  
Akane increased the pressure on Genma's neck, and her eyes began to turn red. "Dammit, your son almost DIED today because you wouldn't train her in martial arts! Kuno was gonna KILL HER!" Each shouted word was punctuated by an inflation of Akane's head.  
  
"urgle" Came Genma's eloquent riposte.  
  
Akane was beginning to show fangs now, and her face had turned from angry- red to downright crimson. "And now you won't have 'your son' for a MONTH, because if we change her BACK, it could KILL HIM!!!"  
  
Souun Tendou broke into tears ( Cry # 70 (first appearance) : My Heir Just Spontaneously Learned My Favorite Chi Attack, I'm So Happy).  
  
"Kkkhhhh" Wheezed Genma, looking surprised.  
  
Akane was in full blown demon-head, complete with little spirit doodles floating around her face. "And it's ALL because YOU are a STUBBORN, STUPID, ARROGANT, LAZY A-"  
  
Oh, my FREAKING GOD!!!!  
  
Startled out of her subconscious Demon's-head attack, Akane let Genma fall to the floor in favor of running to see what had scared Kasumi. She couldn't help but think, though...  
  
******  
  
*So THAT'S the rest of the sentence.* Yasha commented to Ranma, as she calmly sat, legs extended in front of her, looking up at a stunned Kasumi.  
  
You speak English? The demon-girl asked, not really expecting an answer. Poor Kasumi looked stunned enough to remain still through Armageddon.  
  
Akane ran in. "What's the matter, Kasumi? What scared you? Where is it? Can I kill it? Where? What's-"  
  
And screeched to a halt, to see Kasumi staring aghast at the bandaged Ranma- Yasha. "Oh, you mean that... Yeah, it looks pretty bad, doesn't it?"  
  
Kasumi shook it off enough to answer. "No, I only speak a little English..."  
  
"Drat." Replied Ranma-Yasha. "I was hoping for decent conversation... is real pain not speaking language of home, yes?"  
  
Absent nod. "I imagine it would be."  
  
The small girl nodded in agreement. "Nabiki will explain. Akane, if would help me to bed, would be much obliged... am very tired..."  
  
Akane also nodded, then paused, wondering if perhaps it was contagious, this nodding. She decided to worry about it later, and moved to help Ranma- Yasha to the guest room.  
  
******  
  
Dinner was again a rather quiet affair at the Tendou-ke.  
  
"..and I guess Mr. Saotome can't really sleep in the same room as poor Ranma for now. I know! She can sleep in my room. I'll get out the extra futon. Of course, we can't move her when she's already asleep, so Ojisan can sleep in the dojo tonight. Oh, and I can keep Ranma company during the day, because I'm home most of the time! Oh, this is wonderful! Not poor Ranma getting hurt of course. That's just awful. I'm sure that Kuno-san will be sorely punished for that. What I meant, was that it's wonderful that Uncle, Father and I are here all day to keep poor Ranma company, and care for her. And when she's recovered enough, I can start teaching her my recipies..."  
  
Or would have been, but Kasumi had decided to make up for the lack of speech from the others by conversing enough for all of them. None of them noticed of course, being deep in thought.  
  
Akane was thinking of what she would do to Kuno for this. Maybe if she took his bokken and rammed it THERE, and then tied his sleeves like so.... It wasn't that she thought Ranma was nice, or anything, it's just that Kuno really needed a lesson this time. That's all. Nothing else. Really.  
  
Nabiki was thinking of what she would do to Kuno for this. Maybe he would think twice if he were several hundred thousand yen less rich... Now, how to get the money off of him.... Maybe anti-demon charms? No, too ironic. Hmmm...  
  
Souun wasn't thinking of what he would to do Kuno for this. Nor was he noticing that Nabiki's little winged yen bills were roosting on his shoulder. He was, however, crying faster than he ate (#71: My Son In Law Got the Tar Beaten Out of Him and is Stuck as a Girl for Now, and simultaneously # 4: My Eldest Daughter Cooks So Well).  
  
Genma was trying to think. To his credit, he was accomplishing a reasonable facsimile of thinking about something other than food, sleep, and training Ranma. It wasn't quite right, though. It went something like this:  
  
The demon that took over my son's body wants to learn my martial arts. It wants to learn my martial arts so that it can beat me. Therefore, I will teach it martial arts to keep it happy, but I will only teach it stuff I know how to beat, so that when it tries to beat me, I can stop it. That way, everyone's happy, and I'm safe.  
  
******  
  
Satan grinned evilly. No, more evilly. No, that's demented. I mean EVILLY. As in, normally he only grins kind of evilly, now he was grinning so evilly that the top of his head had almost split off. Watching Genma was going to be fun. If he couldn't stop the hail down here, he could at least get a vacation.  
  
Then a particularly sharp one landed on his foot, and he proceeded to jump around a bit, cursing.  
  
******  
  
Yahweh sat on Yggdrasil, monitering things through a few flatscreens. This Doublet thing was fun. Especially since, via Yggdrasil, you could watch your Doublet counterpart...  
  
******  
  
Yasha woke up, sat up, and almost screamed.  
  
That HURT.  
  
In the back of her mind, Ranma, protected by his unconsciousness, roused enoug to protest the fact that it was morning and painful this damned early, and went back to sleep.  
  
Yawning thinly, in an attempt not to aggravate her injuries, Yasha looked at the clock on the wall. Yep. 5:00 AM. Couldn't get away from that internal alarm clock even by travelling halfway around the globe, what had made her think getting pulped would turn it off?  
  
Oh, well. Nothing for it but to get up. Now... with these casts like this, she would have to...  
  
Twisting about in a way that would have surprised anyone but an experienced contortionist, and that left her gasping in pain, Yasha managed to get herself standing with the crutch under her left arm. Carefully, she straightened out her newly-amputated pajamas (the ones with the little demon-repelling ofuda decoration pictures) and step-thumped her way to the stairs.  
  
******  
  
Ten minutes later, she reached the bottom just as Kasumi started down the stairs herself, headed for the bath.  
  
"Wait, Ranma- I'll give you a hand." She directed, in a tone that clearly implied that this was just a polite command. "You shouldn't be up and about on your own, without your neck brace on. Really. You might injure yourself more if you're not careful." She chastized, finishing as she reached the foot of the stairs.  
  
"Am sorry, Kasumi-san... Is just, I was awake, and I not want to wait with nothing to do. I was going to take bath now... Will wait for you, yes?" Yasha would have looked down but for the need to avoid moving her neck unneccesarily.  
  
To her utmost surprise, Kasumi looked her in the eyes without appearing at all disturbed, smiled and said kindly, "You'll do no such thing. I will help you bathe. You certainly can't clean all of yourself with those casts on, can you? You won't be able to reach everything."  
  
The smaller girl grinned ruefully, taking her arm off the crutch for a moment. "Wanting to bet?" She asked, folding her left arm behind her, elbow at her spine, and waving to Kasumi over her right shoulder with her left hand, palm away from her own back. "Besides," She continued, regaining her grip on the crutch with little difficulty, "Am really boy. Are you sure is okay? I think... ah... father of Kasumi... would be very upset to find out. Is nice for you offer, anyway..."  
  
"Oh, just come on. I really don't mind. Besides, it's not like you haven't seen a girl naked before." Something occured to Kasumi. "You HAVE bathed as a girl before, right?"  
  
Ranma-Yasha nodded. Of course she had. After all, heated rivers and lakes weren't exactly common, and most hot springs had entrance fees. Not that that had ever stopped Genma, but she ( and Ranma ) tended to have slightly better social morals than him. On his best day.  
  
"Well, then, it's not a problem. Besides, noone's getting a bath if we stand here talking all morning. Here, I'll help you there."  
  
Aquiescing, although not entirely reluctant, Yasha submitted to Kasumi's aid, both in heading to the bathroom, and getting undressed.  
  
******  
  
Feeling very naked, Yasha looked around. This was her first time in a genuine traditional Japanese bathroom. Back before she'd joined Ranma, she'd heard all sorts of wonderful things about what a good soak in a furo could do for you, and as, at the time, she'd been too large to actually be mostly underwater in an American bathtub, had been looking forward to the experience. Since she couldn't soak in hot water, however, she would have to skip on that one for a while.  
  
Yasha really wasn't looking forward to this morning's bath. With her condition and the casts, she'd have to take a cold sponge-bath. While she was perfectly capable of ignoring cold, cold and wet had always been an altogether different situation for her. And since coming to live with Ranma, in her smaller body, she'd found her physical tolerance for extreme temperatures rather reduced. It irked her to no end.  
  
She turned to face Kasumi as the older girl entered. Kasumi walked up to stand about three feet from Yasha, and looked the smaller girl up and down.  
  
No, Kasumi wasn't interested in Ranma-Yasha's body like THAT. Get your minds out of the gutter.  
  
She was merely taking the opportunity to catalogue the differences between the petite demon's body and a human one. The quills and tail were the most noticable, although now she could see something else rather unusual.  
  
"Is that... fur?" She asked pointing to Ranma-Yasha's belly.  
  
The demon-girl looked down and rubbed the patch of light-brown fur nearly covering her abdomen absently. "Hai. I not know why, but it start growing about week ago. Spread very slowly, at first, started maybe one-tenth that size. Is very short, too." Yasha noted that the fur-covered area wasn't actually cold as the rest of her was.  
  
"May I touch it?" This while reaching forward tenatively.  
  
"Ah... please not, " Demured the demon-girl. "I am still not used to this body, is sometimes hard enough touch things like my own tail myself..."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "I suppose I understand."  
  
Kasumi waited for Ranma-Yasha to take a seat.  
  
And waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
The smaller girl was just standing there, looking a bit cold, temperature- wise. She was occasionally looking at the stools or at Kasumi's bucket of bath supplies. She also seemed to be avoiding looking at Kasumi anywhere but her face.  
  
Kasumi sweatdropped. "You... don't know how to use a bathroom to clean yourself properly, do you..."  
  
Yasha scratched the top of her head, careful not to spear her fingers on her quills. "Ahhhh... I not want look dumb, use wrong thing wrong time or wrong way...." She was gradually getting more nervous.  
  
Kasumi took pity on the poor girl, pulling up a couple of stools and gently seating her on one.  
  
Yasha, meanwhile, was trying to figure out if it was good or bad that Ranma was still asleep. On one hand, he could tell her what to do if he was awake. On the other, he would probably be totally freaked out. The first time they had bathed female, he'd almost totally lost it. With Kasumi here, bathing too... She decided not to risk it.  
  
The disparity in size between the two girls became even more apparent when Kasumi and Yasha sat on the stools. Kasumi's knees were level with her belly button, while Yasha's good leg made an almost right angle at the knee.  
  
Hoping fervently that Ranma wouldn't wake up, Yasha took the soapy, damp cloth Kasumi handed her. When Kasumi started cleaning herself, Yasha carefully mimicked her every move, except those that would have involved not wearing a cast. She had to stretch wayyyyyyy out to wash her toes, too.  
  
******  
  
Akane headed down to the bathroom, as usual, at about 5:30, to get a light rinse in before her morning jog. Oh, good, Kasumi was already in there. They could scrub each others' backs. That was always nice, because then she and Kasumi could discuss the goings-on in Nerima of late. It was one of the few places where Kasumi said much, other than Oh, my. and "Dinner's ready!"  
  
Unfortunately, Kasumi had gotten Yasha undressed first, so her nightgown was sitting on top of Yasha's pajamas, concealing them.  
  
******  
  
Ranma-Yasha blinked as Kasumi motioned for her to turn around.  
  
"You want I turn around?" She asked, puzzled.  
  
"Of course. How else would I wash your back for you?"  
  
Yasha was even more glad Ranma was still "asleep". She turned around. "Just touch only as much as need for cleaning."  
  
Nodding, Kasumi started by taking hold of the bow on the demon-girl's "ponytail" of quills.  
  
Yasha almost jumped. "Wait, be caref-"  
  
SPROINGG  
  
Kasumi's eyes widened as most of Yasha's quills took to standing straight out from her head, making her look like she was wearing a porcupine for a wig. Kasumi had narrowly avoided having her nose scratched by the quills.  
  
Enough quills were still down to give the appearance of long hair, though, and Kasumi carefully lifted them out of the way. Now that she could see Ranma-Yasha's back, she was surprised to find a strip of short fur down the girl's spine, running from the base of her skull to the base of her tail.  
  
"You have fur on your back, too..."  
  
The demon-girl blinked. "Is new, then. Not have two days ago."  
  
Kasumi began washing the smaller girl's back, taking special care to soap up the furred area. The girl was certainly going through some major changes. It was almost like when she herself had gone through.... puberty? Maybe that was it? Ranma's female body might be going through puberty. After all, she could stand to gain quite a bit of height, and had obviously only just began "growing" in a rather important respect...  
  
******  
  
Undressed, Akane stepped up to the door into the furo area. She took with her only a towel, not expecting to wash until after her jog. She wasn't using it to cover any "important bits". After all, it was just Kasumi.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi continued to wash Ranma-Yasha's back until she reached the base of the demon-girl's tail, when she was interrupted by the involuntary arching of the smaller girl's back. Apparently, that spot was rather sensitive.  
  
Right then, Akane opened the furo door.  
  
To see Yasha sitting bolt upright, back arched, and Kasumi (apparently) grabbing the smaller girl's butt.  
  
Three things ran through Akane's mind:  
  
Kasumi is grabbing another (badly injured) girl by the butt, and the other girl looks like she likes it. A lot.  
  
Ranma is in the furo area with Kasumi, and both are naked.  
  
She couldn't pummel Ranma because he was:  
  
a) a girl, and so entitled to be in the furo with other girls  
  
b)injured, and so unable to defend herself, and  
  
c)a guest who might become family.  
  
Kasumi looked wide-eyed at Akane, realizing why her sister had frozen up, and immediately retracted her hand, blushing furiously.  
  
Yasha half-relaxed, then bent 90 degrees left and then right at her waist, causing her spine to emit cement-mixer sounds. And then winced in pain.  
  
Then she noticed Akane, and froze.  
  
Hold tableaux for 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...  
  
"Ranmaaaa nooooo..." Wait. Ranma was a girl right now, she couldn't be molesting Kasumi. As a matter of fact, it had looked more like Kasumi was molesting her.  
  
But, Kasumi wasn't a hentai. That just wasn't possible. You might as well try to convince someone in Nerima that a pile of rocks made a good breakfast. Someone HUMAN in Nerima, anyways.  
  
But Ranma wasn't being a hentai either. She was looking Akane in the face, apparently very scared.  
  
Akane absently noted that Ranma-Yasha was growing fur.  
  
Then her mind took the last option.  
  
There were three people here: Her, Ranma, and Kasumi.  
  
Something hentai was being done by someone.  
  
It wasn't Ranma, and it wasn't Kasumi....  
  
Ranma-Yasha and Kasumi looked on in shock as Akane shouted, "AKANE NO HENTAI!!!" And malleted herself in the head. Hard.  
  
The two others continued to look on in shock as Akane, malled embedded in her own head, slumped to the floor unconscious. And they sweatdropped.  
  
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I know, I know. It looks like I've basically pulled Ranma out of this for about a month or so. Emphasis on looks like. C'mon, this is a manga/anime, and the main character, too, that we're talking about here. It won't take that long.  
  
I'll bet now different people are complaining that we don't get to see how Ranma will deal with Yasha having her menarche. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?  
  
And what, exactly, is going to happen with Genma and Yasha?  
  
And will Yasha ever get a real name?  
  
That depends on what I come up with, and when. Please review, but constructive only. If it sucks, say WHY. And suggestions are welcome. Oh, and whoever-it-was that wanted to use my alternative nickname for Kuno, go right ahead. If I wanted to keep it to myself, I wouldn'ta wrote it where everyone else could read it.  
  
Till next time, Jaa, mata! 


	8. Book One, Chapter 7: Truth or truth?

Ranma-Yasha stood in the door of the Tendou home, and waved to Akane and Nabiki as they left. "Have good day at school!" she called out, then turned to retreat into the house. Kasumi was cleaning up after breakfast (cold miso soup was definitely inferior to warm, but with Yasha injured like that...), and Souun and Genma were sitting down to their first game of shogi since the Saotomes' arrival.  
  
The small demon-girl was wearing a set of Ranma's chinese clothes (red tang and kung-fu pants), as he was enough bigger than her that the pants fit even with her cast. Besides, she just liked big t-shirts, which was basically what the sleeveless tang became when she was wearing it.  
  
As she stared at the game of Cheat Shogi, her eyes seemed to glaze over. They almost did on their own as she failed entirely to grasp the game, but she interrupted her getting bored to try and "wake" Ranma.  
  
*Ranma?*  
  
No answer.  
  
*Ranma??*  
  
No answer.  
  
*RANMA!!!!!!!*  
  
Nothing.  
  
Yasha thought a moment, then internally grinned.  
  
Suddenly, through her head went the sounds of a drag race, fifty sets of cymbals, a marching band, and an atom bomb exploding. Simultaneously.  
  
*YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! WHAT IS IT?!?! ARE WE GETTING BOMBED?!?!?! WHY CAN'T I MOVE!!!! AAAH! I'M A.... girl. Oh. Good morning, Yasha.*  
  
[Look, Tendou, my son is planning to eat you!]  
  
Souun turned to see a rather evil grin on the demon girl, but nothing indicating a plan for cannibalism.  
  
"Nonsense, Saotome, I... Hey, where did those five pieces come from?"  
  
The panda failed to whistle innocently. On both counts.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 7: Truth.... or "truth"?  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to everyone out there who knows what they're doing. And most of the people who don't.  
  
Warning: I borrow stuff. I don't just copy. If I borrowed from you, that means I probably liked your work, because I've read it a lot. It's an indication of my respect for you.  
  
Disclaimer: It's not my fault! OW! Dammit, I didn't DO anything! OW! I said, 'THEY AREN'T MINE!!!' OW!!! STOP HITTING ME WITH THE DAMNED HAMMER ALREADY!  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] =Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = internal conversation between our two intrepid main characters  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
*You sleep like the dead, Ranma. Wait, I take that back. The dead would get up earlier.*  
  
*Yeah, yeah, just because you always wake up at five AM don't mean everyone else wants ta, y'know.*  
  
*True enough,* responded Yasha, walking them to the kitchen, where Kasumi was washing the dishes (with cold water). *Although it seems Kasumi here does.*  
  
Kasumi smiled a little broader as she heard the smaller girl crutch-step into the kitchen. The expression on Akane's face when they had woken her up and explained the logic of it all to her, was priceless. She hadn't seen anything so funny in years.  
  
"Was Akane still blushing when she left?"  
  
Ranma-Yasha laughed. "Yeah. She even not look at Nabiki or Tendou-san. Tendou-san get verry worry about Akane, even when she leave. Is very funny."  
  
Kasumi's smile slipped a little. "I just hope she doesn't think I'm lesbian or anything... That would be very bad."  
  
The smaller girl blinked. "Why?"  
  
*Lesbian?* Asked Ranma. *What's that? And why would she think that?*  
  
*I'll... ah... tell you later, Ranma.*  
  
Finished, Kasumi turned to face her small guest, her smile almost gone, but as incapable of leaving her face entirely as ever. "The only time Akane met a lesbian...." Kasumi's smile took on a sad quality. "The poor girl ended up in the hospital... Akane claimed she was being 'hentai'.... According to the girl's friends, she'd just asked if Akane could give her a hand with her bra in the locker room..."  
  
Yasha paled slightly. "Akane is... very angry girl, yes?"  
  
Kasumi sighed. "Yes, Ranma, she is... it's very unfortunate... She wasn't always this angry, you know..." She moved to Ranma-Yasha. "Can we continue the conversation outside? I need to sweep the walk, and some company would be very welcome."  
  
The quilled girl nodded. "Could Kasumi-san help me to outside?" The question was really only somewhat of a formality, as the elder girl was already helping her to the door.  
  
******  
  
Genma and Souun were looking at each other across the shogi board, the game in hiatus for now.  
  
"This makes it difficult to get the two of them together, doesn't it, Saotome."  
  
[Too true, Tendou.] ::flip:: [I do know a few things I could try teaching my.... daughter... to help.... her... heal faster...] ::flip:: [It's almost as hard to write as it is to say, Tendou.]  
  
Souun gave his old friend a sympathetic look. "I think I know what you mean, Saotome-kun. I can't imagine what I'd do if one of my girls were to turn into a boy in mind as well as body at times."  
  
Everyone who CAN imagine, raise their hands.  
  
Okay, I can see that we all know how predictable the Tendous' watering system is. You can put your hands down now.  
  
[Well, I agreed to it, and I suppose there's no weaseling out of this one...]  
  
******  
  
Several of the demons in Hel, most holding umbrellas, found that their preparations were suddenly a moot point, as a blizzard struck.  
  
******  
  
"Anyways," began Kasumi, as she started to sweep off the walk, "Akane wasn't always this angry. I think it started when Mother died."  
  
Yasha, having figured out by her absence that the Tendou girls' mother had died, nodded. She shifted slightly where she was sitting on the front steps.  
  
"It didn't show at first, but then when people tried to talk to her about Mother, she would get upset at them... One day about four years ago, a boy who lived in the area told her she looked pretty, like her mother. I think he liked her, and was trying to give her a compliment... But she was just starting to go through puberty, and I'd had to have 'the talk' with her... and she took it wrong. She beat the poor boy up pretty badly, and ever since then, she's claimed that all boys are perverts. For whatever reason, she doesn't seem to think that about grown men, but I really can't figure that out...."  
  
Yasha sat quietly, putting the pieces into place in her mind. Now it made sense...  
  
Ranma, on the other hand, was pretty much totally lost. What was 'the talk'?  
  
"But Akane always have much anger when people mean, right?"  
  
Kasumi nodded, still sweeping. "Yes, she did have a tendency to beat up the other kids if they made fun of someone..."  
  
Ranma-Yasha smiled softly. "Is like I am. She just have different trigger for anger, and not have it as long. Give her year or two to get control over it. At that time, only few things make her that angry anymore, unless something very wrong with her."  
  
Smiling broadly now, Kasumi swept one last stroke, and turned to Yasha. "I'm glad you understand... Noone else seems to realize that Akane really is a sweet girl." Kasumi shrugged. "She just has a tendency to be violent at times. Here, lets go around to the back, I've got laundry to hang up."  
  
******  
  
Ranma-Yasha sat on the back porch, looking at the flowerbeds, and waiting for Kasumi to return with the laundry. It was very nice of Kasumi to spend all this time talking to her. Maybe she should tell the older girl...?  
  
She'd have to consult with Ranma, first.  
  
*Ranma?*  
  
*Yeah, Yasha?*  
  
*Do you think we should tell Kasumi?*  
  
*Tell Kasumi what?*  
  
Yasha almost thwapped Ranma over the head, before remembering that to do that she'd have to thwap herself over the head. *Tell her that we're two different people, Ranma. What did you think I meant, tell her that we're aliens or something?*  
  
*Oh...* Mollified. *Well..... I dunno. Maybe talk to her a little more, make sure it's safe. I mean, it seems alright, and she certainly acts nice enough, but I'm not sure yet...* Hesitant.  
  
*I suppose you're right. We'll just have to wait for her to come back out here.*  
  
******  
  
Kasumi, meanwhile, was having herself a sit down in the laundry room on a handy chair.  
  
Oh, my. "I never told anyone that much before... It's nice to have someone to talk to. Something about the way Ranma's acting right now, though.... it's kind of... off... from how she acted before. When she was a he. They're almost..... different? No, it couldn't be.... could it? I mean, she did slip up there, earlier.... But how am I going to make sure without being rude? Oh dear, oh dear..."  
  
******  
  
It should be noted that the way Kasumi acts is not a result of cluelessness. It is not a result of wearing rose-coloured glasses. It is only partially a result of living in Nerima for so long. Mostly it comes from a desperate desire not to hurt anyone. Which it is difficult to avoid if you make yourself out to be a person who will respond to force. Although there is that part where living in Nerima tends to inure one to wierdness and violence somewhat. Not at all entirely, but to a degree violence and wierdness are looked on as completely normal by Nerimans.  
  
It is said that in Nerima, the richest and smartest people are those who work in the construction industry.  
  
Largely because of the tendency of large wandering lizards, semi-berserk martial artists and supervillains to ignore such unimportant things as large stone walls.  
  
It should also be noted that, in Nerima, noone ever bothered to sue anybody for assault or property damage.  
  
******  
  
Having composed and prepared herself, Kasumi stepped out onto the back porch with the basket of laundry.  
  
Yasha was sitting there, whistling "Bouree" by Jethro Tull.  
  
Looking around, Kasumi confirmed that only she and "Ranma" were in the immediate area right now. Smiling slightly at the music, she began hanging up the laundry.  
  
Time passed.  
  
Yasha had just finished whistling McCavity (from "Cats"), when Kasumi asked, calmly, quietly, and out of the blue...  
  
"What's your favorite city, Ranma?"  
  
Without thinking, Yasha answered "San Francisco. Is nice and foggy, and everything right there in same place. Is crowded, but that not too bad."  
  
Kasumi smiled as she stepped out from behind the sheet she had just hung.  
  
Yasha just watched Kasumi while Ranma tried to figure out what was going on here.  
  
"Why you ask, Kasumi-san?"  
  
"I just haven't travelled much, Ranma-chan."  
  
Ranma winced. He didn't like that "chan" being there.  
  
Yasha shrugged. "Some don't."  
  
Kasumi kept smiling, and went back to the laundry, humming a bit.  
  
******  
  
Early that afternoon, Ranma-Yasha and Souun sat across from each other in the dojo.  
  
"Well, Ranma, my friend Saotome has suggested that I teach you a few things I know that might help you get back in good health again."  
  
The demon-girl would have nodded but for the neck brace, so she settled for "Hai."  
  
"These are some family meditation techniques that I learned from my father. They help to relax your chi and allow it to help heal your physical injuries. Just be aware that, while you are using them, they can have some interesting side effects. Also, a few are addictive."  
  
"Side-effect? What means this?"  
  
"Side effects. Like when you take a medicine, and it makes you feel better, but something else becomes wrong."  
  
"Ohhhh. ...what kind side effects?"  
  
In reply, Souun Tendou burst into tears. (# 72: My Future Son-In-Law is Eager to Learn What I Have To Teach, I'm So Happy.)  
  
Yasha sweat-dropped, and Ranma mentally facefaulted.  
  
******  
  
Genma sat at the family room table, reading the paper. A phone book was beside him, he was planning on looking up that doctor they'd taken his... daughter... to, and speaking to the doctor directly. He still didn't trust that demon.  
  
Kasumi sat nearby, doing some embroidering.  
  
"Ojisan?" She asked, not looking up from her needlework.  
  
"Yes, Kasumi?"  
  
"You've traveled a lot with Ranma, haven't you?"  
  
Genma looked at Kasumi, wondering why she was taking an interest in this. She must be looking out for her sister.  
  
"Yes," He replied, nodding. "We've travelled all over the globe. Except for Europe. Nothing useful there."  
  
"So, you've been to America?"  
  
"Of course. Many great martial artists have travelled there. And Native American fighting styles are a martial art to themselves. We," He continued, meaning his son, "learned a lot of useful things there."  
  
Kasumi stopped her needlepoint. "Where in America have you been?"  
  
Genma thought hard, as Kasumi resumed the embroidering. He absently wondered what she was embroidering, but focused on remembering where he'd taken Ranma in America.  
  
"Well, first we went to South America, did some survival training in the Amazon. It's amazing how good crocodile tastes. Anyways, then we headed North. Found some interesting foods in Mexico. Not as spicy as Thai, but an entirely different flavour from anything I'd encountered before. Only place that appreciated the value of an afternoon nap, too. Then, in the States, we started off by going to a few dojos in Florida, though they weren't worth much. Just fitness places. There were a few interesting ones in New York, though. That Lawyer-Fu was rather odd, too. No physical combat, but lots of litigation, whatever that is. I decided we didn't need anything from there, either. Besides, they would only teach you in exchange for all your sons for the next five generations."  
  
Kasumi blinked at that, but kept up her steady embroidering.  
  
"From there, we went up into Canada for a ways, came back down into the States on the other side of the Great Lakes. Swam lake Michigan, too. Hah. Great lakes. More like ponds. There weren't even any dangerous animals or anything. Regardless, we then continued through the Dakotas, and made for Texas. Mm. Ranchhouse chili." Genma drifted off.  
  
Kasumi waited for a couple of minutes, but the man didn't pick up his narration.  
  
"Ojisan? Where did you go from Texas?"  
  
"Eh?" Genma sat up, shaking off his reverie. "Oh, right, after Texas. We headed back up across Nevada, and eventually left from Washington, heading up to Alaska, before returning to Japan and preparing for the final leg of our trip, into China."  
  
Kasumi blinked, then checked back over what Genma had said.  
  
"Didn't you go to San Francisco?"  
  
"No, of course not."  
  
Kasumi stabbed herself with the needle accidentally. Fortunately, she didn't stab hard, and only bled a couple drops before it stopped.  
  
"No renowned dojos or fighting styles there." Continued Genma, obliviously. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Kasumi wiped her finger on a tissue, and threw it away. (The tissue, not her finger.)  
  
"Oh, no reason, I just heard from one of my friends that San Francisco is a really nice place to visit. Supposedly it's very pretty, the bay and the ocean."  
  
Genma snorted. "Pretty?! We didn't go to America for Pretty! It was a training trip, girl! We were there to learn martial arts. None of this sitting, gazing at the sunset or any of that pansy crap. Why, if we had..."  
  
Kasumi tuned Genma out as she finished the embroidering. She was right. Now, how to confront 'Ranma' about it....  
  
******  
  
The next morning, when Yasha stepped into the kitchen after seeing Akane and Nabiki off, Kasumi was just finishing washing the dishes. As the sink drained, she turned to the smaller girl.  
  
"You're not Ranma, are you." It was not a question.  
  
Yasha sweated.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
See? Kasumi ISN'T an airhead.  
  
"I like that food. I like that ravioli best. It's like backwards ramen in sauce."  
  
-Ranma, "Girl Days" 


	9. Book Two, Chapter 1: Drowning in the pas...

Yasha sweated. Hard.  
  
Kasumi, the only person in this world (with the exception of Ranma, who was more of a brother) that she considered a friend, had just figured out that Yasha wasn't actually just a female Ranma in a demon body with different knowledge. Yasha could feel it coming. She was toast. Kasumi would tell the others, and they'd all hate her, and she'd be back to just her and Ranma, and there would never be another chance to have a friend.  
  
But what would come first, that was the worst part. Because every time something had blown up in her face, she had always recieved a verbal thrashing, and those hurt worst of all. She'd endured them from her father, from her teachers, from her "friends"... even, towards the time she'd left her old world behind, she'd even been getting them from her mother, the kindest, most understanding person she'd ever known. And every time someone yelled at her, she got mad at them. She didn't want to be angry at Kasumi.  
  
Something was wrong, though.  
  
Noone was yelling.  
  
Noone was telling her how stupid she was for trying this.  
  
She opened her eyes, trembling in fear, expecting Kasumi to do like her old father had once, and wait until she looked to start yelling, from mere inches away.  
  
Here it came. Kasumi was under a foot away. Kasumi was....  
  
...smiling? Was hugging her? Was comforting her?  
  
Yasha's world had just turned on it's ear and done the hula. She broke down and cried into Kasumi's shoulder, lucky that Kasumi was strong enough to support both of their weights. Because she couldn't have stood on her own right then.  
  
############################################################################ #############  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 8: Drowning in the Past  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to those who help others at any cost.  
  
Warning: I have borrowed things from other peoples' fanfiction, and will continue to do so. I intend no disrespect, in fact, if I borrowed from you, that means I really liked your idea. I try not to exactly copy anything, but it may still happen. Oops.  
  
Disclaimer: Stop whining, boy! I know they aren't mine! But I'm using them anyways, so get used to it! It's good training to run away from lawsuits! splash [I'm just a cute little panda bear who can't be sued.]  
  
Key, Ki, Kei, Chi, Tsi, Fi, Fie, Fo, Fum:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal Ranma/Yasha conversation  
  
& & = Oh, no, not this joke again....  
  
############################################################################ #############  
  
Kasumi was amazed at the small girl sobbing into her shoulder. The girl had obviously expected some sort of drastic punishment for trying to hide herself from everyone. She'd even looked almost like she was expecting to be struck.  
  
There had been no room in the girl's eyes for remorse; there was too much fear there, edging out everything else.  
  
One hand wrapped around Yasha's shoulders, Kasumi reached out with the other one, snagging the kitchen stool. Pulling it close enough, she sat down slowly, making sure not to drop the small girl. Kasumi laid the crutch down in such a way as to be easily picked back up as she rubbed Yasha's shoulder soothingly with the other hand.  
  
******  
  
In a bar near the other end of Nerima-cho, Souun Tendou and Genma Saotome sat at a table, brainstorming for ways to get Ranma and Akane together, and slowly, but with gradually increasing speed, getting drunk. At the rate they were going, it would be a few hours before it got to serious drinking, and by mid-afternoon, the two men would likely be either totally soused and meandering home, or completely unconscious in their seats.  
  
They were greatful to Kasumi for thinking of this place to go so they could plan without Ranma overhearing.  
  
If there was one thing Kasumi could do, it was think ahead.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi noticed that Yasha seemed almost done crying. She had long since sat the smaller girl in her own lap, so she wouldn't have to support Yasha's weight with her arms. It had been a little difficult to manage, with the smaller girl clinging to her like a drowning person would to a lifesaver.  
  
"Are you feeling better now?" She asked, tenatively.  
  
Without taking her face out of Kasumi's shoulder, Yasha nodded slightly. She sniffled, and mumbled something.  
  
"Nani?" Kasumi asked softly.  
  
Yasha turned her head to face Kasumi's other (dry) shoulder. "Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Kasumi-san..." she mumbled, tears still flowing down her face, although much slower than they had.  
  
"Please," asked Kasumi, "Not so formal. You do know me, don't you? Even if you aren't who I first thought you were."  
  
Yasha smiled slightly. "Not sure. Do I know you? You face looks familiar." She sniffled, and looked up at Kasumi a bit.  
  
Kasumi smiled warmly in return. "Of course you do. You talked with me all of yesterday, didn't you?" A joke was good. Needed something to lighten the mood a little.  
  
The smaller girl blinked, rubbing her eyes clear with one hand, the other still latched onto Kasumi's dress. "Maybe.... But I remember your face if you speak to me that much. You sure I know you?" Then she looked at Kasumi's shoulder. "Oh, sorry. I ruin shoulder of your dress."  
  
Kasumi eyed the wet spot on her shoulder. "No, that's all right. It's just water, and you needed to do that."  
  
Yasha nodded. "Is okay then. May I stand up now, Kasumi?"  
  
Kasumi smiled, nodded, and let go of the smaller girl, who managed to stand on her own without the crutch until Kasumi handed it to her.  
  
"We go back-yard and talk now, Kasumi, ne?"  
  
Kasumi nodded. "Ne, onna no chibi."  
  
******  
  
At Furinkan High, Akane and Nabiki considered Kuno.  
  
The deranged Kendoist was standing in full Samurai armor, with a pair of bokken in sheaths across his back like katana, wrapped about with anti- demon wards. On his back was a banner loudly proclaiming:  
  
KAME (green) TSUNAMI OF FURINKAN HIGH %DEFINITELY NOT THE "SCREAMING GAY EARTH OAR"%  
  
Everyone avoided Kuno that day.  
  
The only people who had to change their habits to do so were Akane, Nabiki, and the Kendo club.  
  
The other remarkable thing was that Kuno was late to every class that day. It is very difficult to go through doorways normally wearing full Nobori- Nin (Banner Bearer) armor.  
  
PE was also interesting, as Kuno tried to swim in his armor.  
  
Fortunately, he had been absent the previous day, and so Akane and Nabiki had cooled down a little.  
  
******  
  
"Akane Tendo! I would date with URK"  
  
"That'll be fifty thousand yen for talking to my sister, Kuno-chan. Or I tell her about your 'photo room'."  
  
"'Photo room'?!?!? KUNO NO HENTAI!!!"  
  
KURRRRRRUNCH!!!  
  
But not much.  
  
******  
  
Yasha smiled as she sat on the back porch near Kasumi, a plate of cracker- stack snacks and two cups of cold green tea between them.  
  
"Arigatou, Kasumi."  
  
"That's quite alright, ah..." Kasumi paused. "...What should I call you, anyways?"  
  
Yasha sipped her tea. "Ranma just call me Yasha. Is okay you call me that too. It sound nice enough to me."  
  
Kasumi shook her head. "But it's not a good name to have if you look like you do. You do know what 'Yasha' means, don't you?"  
  
The smaller girl barely remembered not to shake her head. "Iie, Kasumi. Am only learning Japanese still, anyways. Why? What 'Yasha' mean?" She popped a cracker-stack in her mouth and chewed while listening to the answer.  
  
"'Yasha' means a demon who is female. With a name like that, people will think you really are a demon."  
  
Swallowing, Yasha grinned ruefully, tail lashing slowly. "And you not think I am? Is very appropriate name. I look like I am demon."  
  
Kasumi took a sip from her own tea. "Yes, but you aren't. Unless you can do some magical or otherworldly thing you haven't shown anyone here yet?"  
  
"No, I no have strange ability. Not that I know, anyways." Yasha paused. "Ranma suggest 'Mizuko'."  
  
Kasumi paused, a snack halfway from the plate to her mouth, and blinked. "Ranma? You mean, you can talk to him right now?"  
  
"Hai. Is same when he in control. Whoever body is not, still feel and sense all thing other feel and sense, just not have control of body anymore. It feel very strange, until you adjust."  
  
Kasumi nodded, then resumed her motion. After a few moments, she washed the snack down with another sip of tea. "Can you ask Ranma what he thinks of this engagement thing?"  
  
Yasha giggled, the first time Kasumi had heard that sound from the girl. "I not need ask Ranma that now. Already know. He hate arrangement, but is willing to go through with it if he have to. Is matter of honor to him now, even if Oyaji have as much honor as dirty sock have good perfume. He agree, so he will live with agreement."  
  
Kasumi looked up at the sky, everpresent smile slightly wider, as Yasha seemed to zone out for a moment.  
  
*Hey, Ranma, why have you been so quiet all morning, anyways?*  
  
*Well, I mean, it's kinda your morning right now. Not 'cuz yer in control, but 'cuz it kinda looked like you needed the breathin' space, ta deal with it on yer own. I don' think I coulda helped anyways.*  
  
*Oh.... Thank you, Oniisan.*  
  
Mental blink.  
  
*But, I'm not your brother!*  
  
*You're close enough for me, and that's what matters in our head, right?*  
  
*...I guess so, Imoutochan. I guess so.*  
  
Yasha giggled, and Kasumi looked over at her. "Is something funny?"  
  
"No, is just that Ranma is like brother to me... He just call me 'little sister'. He remind me of brother I have before I get brought here." Yasha looked a little sad now. "Is probably only person from before I miss, really."  
  
Kasumi nodded, and silence reigned for a while, as the number of snacks slowly diminished.  
  
******  
  
"What does Ranma think of us?"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"What does Ranma think of me and my sisters?" Kasumi clarified.  
  
"Is good question. Hold on for moment.....  
  
Ranma say Akane is very angry girl, but nice when not upset. He say he want to be her friend, maybe her sensei. He think she have more potential in martial arts than she using. Also that she need work on self-control, and much more on finesse than power.  
  
Nabiki, Ranma not know what to think of. He say she seem very cold, like she close self off from everyone. Is not sure, though, he not talk to her enough to know for sure. Also, he not see her much at school, but some people say she can be very... temperature? Wind chill? Icy. She can be icy."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "That's about what I would expect."  
  
"Ranma not sure what to think about you. You is very nice, and kind, but maybe too much. He think you maybe giving too much to family, not getting enough in return from father, from sisters. He notice that all day, sisters thank you for thing you do for them maybe once. He say they need appreciate you more. He also want teach you martial arts, you move like martial artist. Is also..."  
  
"Also what?" Kasumi asked, trying not to sound too eager.  
  
Yasha shook her head. "He say that is all."  
  
More time passed, and Kasumi went inside for a while to set up some stuff for dinner.  
  
******  
  
The snack tray was replaced with a lunch tray just after Yasha finished the last cracker-stack.  
  
Kasumi sat down, putting down the glasses of lemonade.  
  
"I was wondering, does Ranma have any hobbies or anything?"  
  
Yasha nodded. "Ranma like to carve wood. Is very good at it too." Then she laughed. "Ranma is saying he not that good, is really easy to do. Ranma too modest."  
  
*Aw, c'mon, Yasha! It's just a hobby. I'm not that good. I only do a little in my spare time.*  
  
*Don't depreciate yourself, Ranma! It's very difficult for some people. I only ever tried once. Nearly sliced my arm open. And I'm really good with my hands usually.*  
  
"What about you? Do you have anything you do for fun?"  
  
Yasha smiled wistfully, looking up into the sun. "Hai. I like to hike, and also I used to play flute. Was pretty good at that, though I usually out of practice. I wish I still have flute. And recorders. I play soprano and alto, not at same time, but indiviv.... indidi.... separate."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "'Individual' is how you say it in Japanese."  
  
"In-di-vi-du-al" Yasha carefully pronounced, each character-sound separate.  
  
Kasumi smiled. "That's what we can do while you heal, I can teach you Japanese! Is that alright with you?"  
  
Yasha's grin could have lit asbestos on fire. "Is WONDERFUL! I hate not speak language well. Arigatou, Kasumi"  
  
Kasumi nodded again. "By the by, how old were you before you 'joined', so to speak, with Ranma?"  
  
The smaller girl's grin hardly faded as she answered. "Was eighteen, almost nineteen. Three months off from nineteen, actually."  
  
******  
  
Eventually....  
  
"So," Began Kasumi, "We still need a name for you. After all, we can't just call you Ranma, and I refuse to let you name yourself 'Yasha'. It's just not right. What was your name Before?"  
  
Yasha frowned. "I not want use name from Before. Was not very good life, was not very good person. I not want be same as I was before. I was very unhappy that way. I need new name, one not relate to old life.  
  
"Hmmmm..." Kasumi said, gently biting her lip in thought. "What are your favorite things?"  
  
Yasha blinked. She had thought they were talking about naming her... "Colors are purple and green, best together. I like calamari, music, and drawing. Very much I like singing and dancing."  
  
"Okay, what about... Kangakkiko?"  
  
The small girl made a face. "Is big mouthful."  
  
"Maybe... Megara?"  
  
"Maybe, maybe. Other ideas?"  
  
"Well, there's always Ranko, the female version of Ranma, but that's a little... corny."  
  
" I agree. Other idea maybe?"  
  
"Kikuko? Maybe Reiko? Or, how about Ryoko?"  
  
"No, are just not feel right. And last one is like cartoon character, make me look silly. Hair and fangs like her enough for me."  
  
"Ahhh... Yoiko? Maybe Kodora?"  
  
"What was last one? 'Little Tiger'? That sound nice."  
  
"Yes, but it's a little... tomboyish. Maybe Dorako?"  
  
"'Tiger child'? Sound just as man as Kodora, to me."  
  
WHAM!!!  
  
Both girls jumped at the manner in which Souun and Genma announced their return.  
  
"Awful rrrrude of th' chillern t' move th' fron' gate like that, Tenno!"  
  
Souun began to bawl. Again. (# 73: Someone Moved My Front Gate While I Was Out Drinking)  
  
"WAAAAH! It'sh nhot my ffffallt! WAAAAAH! I bringededed upp my chillren right! They juss' not respect me!"  
  
The two girls exchanged a look before Kasumi went to help the fathers to their rooms, hopefully before Akane and Nabiki got back.  
  
The currently-nameless girl sat thinking about what to call herself, absently noting the feeling of the fur falling out all down her back and across her abdomen. This was the third time that had happened. Almost as though her body hadn't decided what it was going to be yet.  
  
############################################################################ #############  
  
Been checking my reviews, and all I can say is 'Wow.' I never thought enough people would like something I wrote. But, for you all, I will keep it up. Besides, it's fun sometimes. The rest of the time it's very fun. Well, GTG! Jaa, mata!  
  
"Curse you, Saotome!" Kuno growled, achieving surprising results (AN: in digging through a pile of rubble) though he was using a bokken instead of a shovel, "None has the right to defeat you but Kuno Tatewaki! I shall not permit you to be defeated by a mere building full of debris! The Blue Thunder will have his revenge only after I have freed you!"  
  
-Tatewaki Kuno, "The Fifth Fiancee" 


	10. Book Two, Chapter 2: This looks familiar

A few days passed in this vein, the currently-unnamed demon-girl talking with Kasumi, although she would have to take long rests sometimes, as her injuries would not let her alone, and she preferred to remain still while practicing Genma and Souun's healing techniques. There were no attempts, surprisingly, to get Ranma and Akane together, other than the one time when Souun had practically dumped a half-awake "Ranma" into the bathroom while Akane was in there. Akane, of course, noted that "Ranma" was both alright and not totally awake, still halfway meditating, and took appropriate action. Souun avoided her the rest of that day. He'd never quite realized how SCARY that Demon Head technique was.  
  
It was maybe a week and a day since Ranma and Genma had arrived. The day before, Kasumi and the small girl had finally finished telling each other their life stories (Though Kasumi's was longer, the smaller girl refusing to speak of her previous life), and the demon-girl had promised to teach Kasumi a recipie called "Tuna Treat" that day. That wasn't what woke her up at four AM, sweating, though.  
  
She sat up , putting painful strain on her arm, and gasped. That was wierd. She'd never had a dream do that to her before. What made it worse was that she couldn't remember anything about the dream except for a lot of glowing greenness. It just didn't make any sense.  
  
The unnamed girl looked over at Kasumi, who had insisted on taking the futon on the floor, giving her bed to the smaller girl.  
  
That in itself had been an interesting argument, consisting of Kasumi and her sisters arguing that "Ranma" needed the bed, and "Ranma", Ranma (by proxy), and the fathers arguing that it really wasn't neccessary to take Kasumi's bed away from her and leave her with a futon. Kasumi, of course, had won. Noone known in Nerima could win an argument with Kasumi.  
  
Either way, the nameless girl was awake, and sweaty. That meant she needed a bath, and also that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. If she was up, that was it. No going back to sleep. She just wouldn't be able to do it, no matter how hard she tried. And Kasumi had insisted that when she got up, she should wake Kasumi up so Kasumi could help her.  
  
But she couldn't bear to wake up Kasumi.  
  
What a dilemma.  
  
############################################################################ #############  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 9: This looks familiar  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to... uh... to.... something important and good.  
  
Warning: You've probably read this warning enough times. I'm not going to bother you with it again now.  
  
Disclaimer: Aiyaaah! Starblade no own this! Be getting Kiss of Death if not write this. Oh, but Starblade own own character. Aiyaaah! Is so confusing.....  
  
Key:  
  
=English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese ( I know, I know, there STILL isn't any. Have patience.)  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and the demon formerly known as Yasha.  
  
############################################################################ #############  
  
Fortunately, she only had to wait a minute or two before Kasumi got up too. Attuned to her house and it's sounds, Kasumi's subconscious had noticed that Yasha's motions were in the category "unusual" as regarded this time of night, and possibly worth waking up over if they persisted. When they did, Kasumi's subconscious had yanked the "Wake Up" pullrope, and a small gong had gone off in Kasumi's head, rousting her consciousness.  
  
Kasumi slowly sat up, the world fading gently into focus around her, as it always did when she woke. She yawned, stretching one arm, and rubbing her eyes with the other hand. Looking over at the clock, Kasumi noted that it was an hour earlier than she usually woke up, and looked around for what might have disturbed her sleep.  
  
The small girl sat, watching Kasumi, an expression half-surprise and half- relief on her face.  
  
"What's the problem?" Asked Kasumi, remaining where she was.  
  
"It's nothing, just strange dream I have.. ah.. had." She corrected herself.  
  
"Ah. Would you like to tell me about it?"  
  
"Most definitely. Problem is, I can't remember it." Her Japanese had been getting much better, with Kasumi's guidance during their conversations.  
  
Kasumi smiled. "Well, since we're both up, may as well go get our baths, ne?"  
  
The nameless girl nodded once, carefully. Her neck had been hurting less the last couple of days.  
  
******  
  
Their bathing done, the two girls were sitting in the kitchen, having some cold green tea before setting to work on breakfast. They had taken to working together on it, and apparently the demon-girl had a bit of a knack for cooking. That and she remembered some from Before.  
  
"Kasumi?"  
  
"Hai?" Kasumi took a sip of tea.  
  
"I have choose a name."  
  
"Chosen."  
  
"Oh, oops... I have chosen a name." She corrected herself. "I would like to be called Kodora."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "Okay, Kodora. Any ideas for breakfast this morning?"  
  
Kodora grinned. Her old father had known how to do some very interesting things with scrambled eggs.  
  
******  
  
Souun and Nabiki Tendou stared at the masses on their plates, and on everyone else's plates. They were mostly scrambled-egg-yellow, although it only just qualified as "mostly", being more like half. There were pink bits and brown bits (presumably meat, although with cooking that looked like this, you never knew), and green bits and red bits and black flecks and spots all over it. And some orange, and yellowish-white areas. And the yellow of the eggs was actually a bit off, looking a little green. Obviously, someone could cook just as badly as Akane: this looked like her kitchen-work, but she'd been out jogging all morning. It had been Ranma helping Kasumi.  
  
Akane wondered what was wrong with Souun and Nabiki. She'd cooked stuff that looked worse than this, and they hadn't complained. On the other hand, they never actually ATE it, did they? Hmm. This bore looking into.  
  
Genma also wondered what was wrong with the staring Tendous, but just shrugged and grabbed one of the muffins that were to go with the eggs. Mm. Blueberry.  
  
Kodora and Kasumi just watched everyone else, waiting for them to try it. They'd already tasted some, and wanted to see everyone else's reactions.  
  
Finally, Genma took his chopsticks and ate a bite of the adulterated eggs. All eyes were riveted on him, for various reasons.  
  
Genma chewed.  
  
And chewed.  
  
He seemed reluctant to swallow, but eventually did.  
  
Souun and Nabiki expected him to pass out or turn funny colors anytime now. Instead, he said: "Wow."  
  
And took another, larger bite.  
  
Kodora and Kasumi grinned and high-fived, before digging into their own food. By this point, Souun and Nabiki were totally confused.  
  
Akane began eating too.  
  
Carefully, looking scared, Souun picked up a bite of the eggs with his chopsticks, and timorously put it in his mouth.  
  
First came the expression of surprise.  
  
Then the happy chewing.  
  
Then he began to cry, silently for once, as he chewed. It was too good to waste by opening his mouth and risking it falling out.  
  
Nabiki was getting scared. She opened her mouth to object, only to find that Akane had grabbed her chopsticks and shoved a bite of eggs into her mouth, removing the chopsticks and forcing Nabiki's mouth closed before she could spit them out.  
  
Nabiki got an expression of sheer fright on her face, and froze. She didn't dare chew it, she knew. That would bring out more of the awful, nasty, fetid, h.... h.... how good this was defied description.  
  
Nearly passing out with relief and amazement, Nabiki joined the others in eating slowly and silently. Everyone was eating slowly, savoring each bite, even Genma.  
  
******  
  
Most of the demons in Hel had given up and taken up skiing and snowboarding by this point.  
  
And, now that I've beaten THAT joke into the ground, I think I'll stop with it.  
  
******  
  
At school, Nabiki was in too much of a daze to notice that Kuno was absent again, this time because Akane had force-fed him his back-banner the previous day. In large chunks.  
  
She was still trying to figure out how someone could make something that looked like Akane's cooking, but had tasted so darn good. Usually, when Akane cooked, the better it was at first, the worse it got. If it tasted horrible right off, it was usually okay to eat, but if it tasted okay, you immediately spat it out, because eating it would probably induce vomiting, diarrhea, or some other unpleasentness.  
  
Okay, so Akane's cooking wasn't DEADLY, but it was pretty bad. Even by Nabiki's standards. And Nabiki could cook cheesetoast at best. Sometimes. When it didn't burn.  
  
Although, if she could get Ranma to teach Akane to cook like that.... after all, both methods seemed to consist of grabbing everything handy and throwing it in, it's just that Ranma seemed to have gotten in the habit of grabbing the RIGHT everything. Whereas Akane would just grab anything. Once she'd even added dish soap.  
  
That particular time, Nabiki had kept some, and persuaded Kuno to eat it.  
  
Every year, "Bubbles Day" was celebrated, as Kuno was fed something else with dish soap in, after being told Akane cooked it, even if she hadn't.  
  
The teachers were still working on a good way to get the soap scum off the ceilings.  
  
******  
  
"I'm having strange feeling about today, Kasumi."  
  
Kodora was again sitting on the back porch with a cup of tea, and a sandwich. Kasumi, hanging laundry again, momentarily mused that the small girl never seemed to be without something to munch on, regardless of whether she or Kasumi made it, or pulled it from the cupboards.  
  
"What do you mean, Kodora-chan?"  
  
"Something feels.... not quite straight. Sort of wrong tilt to it. Not bad, but... not how it supposed to be. Ranma say he feels uneasy, like he sometimes does when Oyaji do something dumb, but we don't know yet."  
  
Kasumi nodded, hanging up another sheet.  
  
Kodora sighed. "Oh, well. Is nothing to do about it, anyway." She picked up the crutch with her good hand, and used it to help herself up to a standing position as she finished off the sandwich in one large bite.  
  
******  
  
I feel compelled to note the differences between how Kodora eats and how Ranma does. Both eat very, very quickly. Ranma moreso, he's had more practice. There are three ways to eat fast. There's the way Ranma and Genma eat, which involves stuffing as many bites down your throat as possible as quickly as you can, especially from someone else's plate.  
  
There's the Chardin method, which involves basically warping your own musculoskeletal structure so you can do things like stuff whole watermelons in your mouth.  
  
Then there's Kodora's method. This method is also shared by members of certain other anime casts, most notably Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev.  
  
This method consists of getting onto your eating utensil as large a bite as you can fit in your mouth. This gets stuffed in, and chewed to reduce it's volume, then another bite is stuffed in, chewed, the whole thing is swallowed, and by this time, you have another large bite ready. This method has less mess than the Saotome style, and lacks the physical deformity caused by the Chardin style. The reason it still works quickly is that, by using it, one builds up one's jaw muscles so that food can be compacted smaller. For this reason, more food mass dissapears at once.  
  
I hope this dissertation did not disgust you.  
  
******  
  
Kodora was lying in Kasumi's bed, resting after having meditated for a while. Her neck was pretty much not bothering her anymore, and her bruises had long since disappeared. The cracked ribs and broken limbs, however, were not healed yet, and sometimes hurt like hell. Or Hel, depending on whom you asked. This was one of those times.  
  
Kasumi was downstairs with the recipie and instructions Kodora had given her, since the small girl's limbs had begun to ache yet again, and she would probably be of little use in the kitchen.  
  
Kodora heard a shouted "Tadaima!" from Akane and Nabiki as they returned from school. There was a bit of quiet conversation from downstairs, and then she heard three sets of footsteps heading up the stairs. But Kasumi was still singing in the kitchen as she cooked, and Souun and Genma didn't move that quietly unless they absolutely had to. So who was the third person?  
  
Also, one of the sets of footsteps occasionally paused, or fluctuated in nearness, as though whoever it was kept changing their mind or stopping for a moment, then returning to a steady pace towards Kasumi's room.  
  
Finally, someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in." Said Kodora, eager to find out who the third person was.  
  
Akane and Nabiki stepped in, leaving the door open behind them for someone.  
  
But noone was there but Akane and Nabiki.  
  
"How are you doing, Ranma?" Asked Akane.  
  
Ranma-Kodora grimaced. "Okay, but leg and arm are hurting. Was going to take a nap soon."  
  
Nabiki nodded, face neutral, as Akane looked on, concerned. "Someone came to the school to see you, so we brought him here. Says he knew you."  
  
*I don't THINK I know anyone around here...*  
  
*Maybe seeing him will jog your memory, Oniichan.*  
  
*I hope so.*  
  
"So," began Kodora, "Where is he?"  
  
Akane and Nabiki blinked. "He's right-" Nabiki turned to point out the empty doorway. And nearly fell over at the lack of someone there.  
  
Akane, also looking into the hall, blinked again. "And here I thought he was kidding about that."  
  
Kodora didn't look amused. "Look, am not in the mood for joke. Is nice to see you both, really, but could you go now? I really would like to take nap."  
  
Akane frowned, it wasn't a joke. They'd gone to so much trouble to see that the boy actually got here... But there was nothing to do about it now. He was gone, like he said might happen. Nodding, Akane said "Gomen, Ranma. Oyasumi nasai." And headed into the hall and down to her own room.  
  
Nabiki grimaced. This hurt her credibility with Ranma. She liked her credibility with ANYONE. Besides, she'd figured out what the parents had been up to: if Ranma didn't marry one of them, they might not be able to keep the Tendou-ke in the family when their father eventually passed on. Anything that hurt his chances of agreeing to join the family was bad news. Majorly. Nodding sourly, she muttered "Oyasumi nasai," and left, closing the door behind her.  
  
******  
  
Elsewhere in the house, a teenage boy was muttering darkly to himself about his two curses, tripped on the edge of the furo, and fell into the cold bathwater, triggering one of them. The other one was always active, anyways.  
  
Crawling out, the cat-sized green rabbit muttered silently to itself, unable to make human-hearing-range sounds with it's lungs and throat, and dragged its soaked clothes out of the furo.  
  
He WOULD find Ranma, and NOTHING would stop him.  
  
******  
  
Kodora woke up instantly. Since joining Ranma, she had become a very, VERY light sleeper. Someone was in the room. The window was open, and the door was closed, so it wasn't one of the Tendous or Oyaji. And she couldn't turn over right now, her arm and ribs were killing her.  
  
This was very, VERY bad.  
  
She tried to take a deep breath to scream for help, but the pain in her ribs cut her short, and she wound up gasping shallowly for a few moments instead.  
  
Then she heard it. Someone or something was crouched below the foot of the bed, trying not to make a lot of noise.  
  
Kodora began to shiver in fear.  
  
Then the green rabbit jumped up and landed on the foot of the bed, and she nearly passed out in relief. After all, rabbits didn't kill people or rape them or anything. Although, apparently, they did scare people half to death sometimes.  
  
The rabbit looked at what had to be the smallest teenage girl he'd ever seen. This was supposed to be Ranma here in this bed. This was all wrong. He must have gotten the wrong room again. As he started to turn to leave the pleasently-decorated room, the small girl held out her uninjured arm, making a sort of "tchk-tchk" noise with her tongue on the roof of her mouth.  
  
Well, it wouldn't hurt, and the girl looked kind of scared, too... Aw, hell. He never could resist, even though all the people who'd tried that had wanted him to be their pet, and had done all sorts of horrible ear- pulling and such.  
  
Kodora smiled as the rabbit carefully hop-walked into reach. It jumped slightly at that, seeing her fangs, but somehow seemed to relax even more after seeing them.  
  
Once it was close enough, Kodora lightly stroked it on the head and neck, careful not to pull at its skin or ears too hard- she'd handled rabbits before. Not very much, but she tended to have a bit of a sixth sense for animals. They tended to like her, too.  
  
It was an interesting sort of collar, though, she thought as she drifted off, one small arm draped across the now-drowsy green rabbit.  
  
Why on earth would someone put a yellow bandana with jaguar splotches on a rabbit?  
  
############################################################################ #############  
  
Uh-oh. (giggles maniacally) THIS is going to be interesting. 


	11. Book Two, Chapter 3: Tuna Treat and Bunn...

"Tuna Treat"  
  
Ingredients:  
  
Four eggs, yolks and whites in separate bowls  
  
One 6&1/2 or 7 ozcan tuna IN OIL, DO NOT DRAIN  
  
1/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar is best)  
  
10 oz. frozen peas or 2 cups canned  
  
1 10&1/2 oz can condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (undiluted)  
  
Start heating oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Cook frozen peas (do not use any salt).  
  
Get a 1&1/2 quart casserole. Put in milk, soup, peas, and finally the tuna WITH THE OIL. Using a fork, mix together, make sure to break up the tuna. Put in oven for 12 min.  
  
Beat whites until they stand in peaks when you raise the beater, beat yolks until lemon-colored. If you need exercise for your arms, use a whisk, put the rounded end in the eggs, and roll the handle like you would clay you were making into a strip.  
  
Fold the cheese into the yolks carefully, then fold that into the whites.  
  
Remove the other when it has baked 12 minutes, and gently pour the egg mixture on the top so it covers the whole thing.  
  
Bake 20 minutes more. Careful when taking it out of the oven, that IS a souffle on the top. Serves 4.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi consulted the handwritten recipie again, double-checking to make sure she was using twice the amount in the recipie.  
  
Kodora had offered to show her, but her injuries had acted up, and this really didn't need supervision to do. Although she didn't understand the instructions for beating the eggs.  
  
This would be an interesting recipie. Also impossible to eat with chopsticks.  
  
The look on Genma's face would be priceless.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 10: Tuna Treat and Bunny Blunder.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Starblade  
  
Dedicated to Life, the Universe, Everything, and the number 42.  
  
Warning: Aw, heck. I'm not gonna write this anymore. You KNOW it's not plagiarism already.  
  
Disclaimer: AND you already know they aren't mine. But I have to put this here. It's required by law. Dammit. Bloody waste of time.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Mental conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
Nabiki wondered what Kasumi was up to. Something was very wrong here. Ever since Ranma had gotten here, things had been going strangely. At least, moreso than usual. And this was the strangest thing yet.  
  
There were forks and spoons on the table instead of chopsticks.  
  
And Kasumi was reading a book. Dinner was in five minutes, and Kasumi was reading a book instead of cooking.  
  
Nabiki sat calmly at the table, apparently rereading a manga, her face expressionless.  
  
Inside, she was freaking out and gibbering madly.  
  
******  
  
Kodora woke up when she heard Kasumi shout out "Dinnertime!"  
  
When the pillow she was holding began to struggle, she looked at it and almost jumped.  
  
Then she remembered. Green rabbit, bandanna.... Hm. Wonder if we have any lettuce lying around.  
  
*Kodora, what's with this rabbit? Did you paint it green or something?*  
  
*Of course not. It was like that when I got here.* She inspected the rabbit a moment. *No nametag or anything either. Wonder how it got to the second floor, though. Better take it downstairs, let it out.*  
  
"Come on, green rabbit-san. Let's get you back outside where you belong."  
  
Stiffly, Kodora got up from the bed, rabbit tucked into the sling, good hand on the crutch. She walked to the door, opened it and stepped out into the hall, just in time to see Akane head down the stairs.  
  
Moving to the stairs herself, she took the crutch under her arm, and, leaning heavily on the banister with the arm in the cast, made her way down the stairs, step-thump step-thump.  
  
Once down the stairs, she turned and headed towards the family/dining room, and put the rabbit down just out of sight, opening the sliding door slightly.  
  
"Out you go, rabbit-san."  
  
Without waiting to see if the bunny had left, she turned and headed into the family room, arm back in the sling. It wouldn't be good to worry Souun.  
  
Ryouga, however, hopped over to the door to the family room, and sat just so, peeking into the room.  
  
******  
  
Genma sat at the table, confused, and looked for the chopsticks. You couldn't eat anything without chopsticks. It just wasn't right. Maybe Kasumi would bring them out with the food.  
  
Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen with a tray holding two casseroles and six small bowls of applesauce.  
  
Then again, maybe not.  
  
There were no chopsticks, anywhere.  
  
Kasumi set the tray down in the middle of the table, and put a large serving spoon next to each casserole. Each person got a bowl of chilled applesauce and a serving of what seemed to be some sort of tuna-and-peas casserole with a souffle on top.  
  
Genma, thinking quickly, pulled his pair of spare chopsticks from his bandanna to use while eating. He eyed his sometime-daughter, trying to determine how much food he could steal from her while she was adjusting to the different eating utensils.  
  
Everyone but Genma bowed slightly over the food and said "Ittadakimasu."  
  
Then the eating began.  
  
******  
  
If rabbits were able to chuckle, Ryouga would have laughed his flop-eared little head off.  
  
The look on Genma's face when his daughter basically decimated one whole casserole-full of food before he could even finish one serving was priceless. His eyes bugged out to the point where they had practically left their sockets, and his glasses fell off. His jaw was sitting on the floor as his arms flailed about with the chopsticks, trying to get a purchase on something, anything in the food.  
  
It just couldn't be done. All he'd succeded in doing to his food was to reduce it to a basically tasteless paste.  
  
Genma was going to go to bed hungry that night.  
  
******  
  
The meal basically finished, Kodora remained in place on her cushion, tail slowly lashing behind her. She had her applesauce spoon upside-down in her mouth, and was sucking on it, finding the taste of the silver metallic- tangy-good.  
  
Ryouga was eyeing the tail warily from where he was hidden in the hallway, peeking past the door just enough to see into the family room.  
  
Souun, looking ready to cry (again) at the fact that there was no more of the good food, turned to his eldest daughter.  
  
"Kasumi, dear, you've never made that before, wherever did you find the recipie?"  
  
"I got it from an American friend of mine. Which reminds me, there's an important announcement to make tonight." Kasumi eyed Kodora, who returned a "who, me?" look.  
  
Everyone else but Genma noticed Kasumi looking at Kodora, and subjected her to a unified stare. Genma had already been looking at his child anyways, wondering when Ranma'd had the time to pick up eating skills for American table instruments.  
  
Kasumi waved her hands at Kodora in a "go on" gesture. They'd discussed this earlier, and they knew that the fathers probably weren't going to like it.  
  
Kodora sighed. "Is pretty straightforward." She began, looking down at the table to avoid the stares. "You all know I am Ranma. That body I am in now is result of the Jusenkyou curse. You also know that I know different things when like this, than I know when am male."  
  
Unified nod, and Kasumi and Kodora exchanged glances before nodding themselves.  
  
"What I have not said, is I am girl when I am like this." She waved her hands at the stupefied faces before they could say they already figured it out. "I mean in mind too."  
  
Akane and Nabiki almost fell over, Genma did, and Souun got a thoughtful look.  
  
Before anyone could recover, she continued. "Because of this, I want be treated as girl when am like this, and I want to be called 'Kodora'. Also to stop people finding out curse when not want them to."  
  
Genma jumped up, towering over the tiny girl.  
  
"Nonsense, Ranma! You're a man! A MANLY man! You will stop this foolishness this instant! It's bad enough that you dress like this-" He gestured to the amputee pajamas the girl was wearing, which were tight enough to show the bra lines. "But to claim that you ARE a girl when you're like-"  
  
WHAMMO  
  
Souun and Nabiki traced the handle of the wooden mallet, and facefaulted to see Kasumi at the other end of it from the massive wooden head that had driven Genma into the floor. Akane just stared at Kasumi.  
  
******  
  
'Ranma? Where?!' Thought Ryouga the Off-Colour Rabbit, looking frantically about the room until Genma gestured at the little girl who, but for the tail and quills, could easily have been a relative of his. Especially with those fangs. He stared hard.  
  
True, he supposed, the girl bore some superficial resemblance to his greatest adversary, but she couldn't possibly be confused for him.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi blinked, surprised, then released the handle of the hammer with the Tendou family crest on it's handle, permitting it to disappear back to subspace. She'd never used her grandmother's mallet before, but the situation just seemed to call it into her hand.  
  
Oh, my. "I hope Ojisan is alright. I just wanted him to quiet down so Kodora could explain."  
  
Akane and Kodora sweated, and Souun and Nabiki sat up, Souun looking thoughtful, and Nabiki suspicious.  
  
Akane turned to yell at Kodora. "You've got to be kidding me! You just want to go into girls' bathrooms and lockerrooms! Pervert!"  
  
Nabiki turned to grill Kodora. "When did you know this? How much is it worth to you to keep your curse secret? Why bother, when the whole school knows?"  
  
Genma pulled himself out of the floor, and turned to bellow at Kodora. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, GET US KILLED?! YOU FOOL, YOU'RE A GUY DAMMIT! WHY MUST YOU TORMENT ME SO?!!? YOUR POOR FATHER HAS GONE TO SUCH TROUBLE, AND THIS IS THE THANKS HE GETS?!?!?!"  
  
All this simultaneously, while Kasumi wondered where Akane was getting her ideas, why Kodora and Ranma WOULD want to bother keeping the curse secret, when the whole school knew, and what that "trying to get us killed" comment meant.  
  
Souun thought a moment longer, then cut everyone off with the most massive demon-head yet, in a very pretty paisely mauve that Kasumi took a moment to just adore.  
  
"QUIET!!!!" Shouted Demon-Head-Souun.  
  
And it was. Genma, Nabiki, and Akane had all been blown over by the volume of Souun's yell amplified by ki waves, and decided that maybe it was time to give him a chance to respond. Kasumi, of course, was untouched, and Kodora had ducked behind the table when she'd seen Souun's head start to grow.  
  
******  
  
Ryouga remained in place, some scared, some confused, and very interested. The scared was because of the mallet. And from his perspective, he'd only seen a mallet descend on Genma, then everyone staring at Akane. Obviously she had hit Genma with the mallet.  
  
This 'Kodora' however... She was obviously a very nice person from what he'd seen, and apparently Ranma, his hated foe... okay, his worthy adversary (really, hated foe just SOUNDED so much better), turned into this kind, gentle, friendly, yet voracious and odd-appearing girl. And she wasn't really Ranma. But his Jusenkyou curse didn't do that to HIM. Maybe Ranma'd fallen in some sort of a special pool or something. The guide had mentioned that there were some... Ryouga's mind slipped back to his encounter with the cursed pools.  
  
******  
  
He had been wandering about China, looking to pick up Ranma's trail again. He NEEDED that duel. Without it, he'd never know if the Ironcloth technique he'd learned had finally allowed him to surpass Ranma in martial arts skill. He needed to know. Besides, Ranma had to explain why he hadn't shown up. Even if it had been simple cowardice, Ryouga had to hear it from his adversary's lips.  
  
Ryouga'd just found a pool of clean clear water and crouched down to get a drink when..  
  
"Aiyaaah! No go in water, sir! Quickly, head over here! Do not touch water! Do not fall in pool! Do not even JUMP OVER pool! Just walk carefully here, NOW!"  
  
The bandanna'd lost boy stood up, looked around, and spotted the fat man in the Mao uniform who'd yelled at him. He seemed to be wearing a nametag of some sort, which probably meant he was important.  
  
So, Ryouga carefully picked his way out from the area filled with pools (He still couldn't figure out how he'd gotten into the middle of them), looking up every few feet to make sure he hadn't lost his bearings. If he didn't, he might end up falling in the water, or even worse, wandering into the forest nearby. Then he might wind up lost for days before seeing someone else.  
  
As he arrived in front of the Guide, the chubby man was amazed. The boy had not only made it out to the middle of Jusenkyou without slipping and falling into a pool, but had made it all the way back out and STILL wasn't cursed.  
  
"Now, why shouldn't I go in the pools?"  
  
"Sir come to house," the Guide said, indicating his shabby hut. "Self will explain everything."  
  
A half-hour and a typical explanation later, Ryouga stepped out of the hut with the guide.  
  
"Thanks, mister. Geez. Funky pools. I'm glad I didn't fall in one. With my luck, I'd have turned into a little pig or something, been on everyone's menu from here to eternity." He chuckled at that, and the guide did too. "So it's this way to the nearest town?" he asked, pointing in the direction of the Nyuchieju villiage.  
  
"Yes, sir. Have nice trip!"  
  
Humming to himself, Ryouga turned in the direction he'd been pointing as the Guide closed his door, and headed off.  
  
Ten paces later, he heard the Guide shout from behind him "No, sir is wrong way! Is WRONG WAY!!!"  
  
He turned his head, still walking, to see the Guide looking out his window and waving frantically.  
  
Splash  
  
******  
  
The universe has a wonderful sense of irony, doesn't it?  
  
******  
  
Ryouga had no trouble accepting that that one had been his own fault. He should have kept watching his feet, making sure of where he was going. Had someone knocked him in, or had he perhaps hit a spring without being warned about them first, he might have had a reason to blame someone else, but he'd known and still hadn't watched his step. Sigh. At least people weren't trying to eat him, only to make a pet of him. That way he got fed sometimes.  
  
He returned his attention to the scene at hand in the Tendou family/dining room, just in time to hear the thin man in the greenish-brown gi with a moustache and long hair say:  
  
"So, let me get this straight. When you're Ranma, you're Ranma. A guy, masculine, as in likes girls, sports, and might eventually like to be a father, right?"  
  
Kodora was nodding now. "Hai. When am Ranma, am just like Oyaji bring me up to be."  
  
The thin man continued. "But, when you're like this, your a girl, feminine, as in wants to wear a dress or cute clothes, likes boys, and might eventually like to be a mother, right?"  
  
Kodora nodded again, looking somewhat scared.  
  
Ryouga checked about, then quietly hopped up behind Kodora and wormed his way under her left hand, which was sitting on the floor. Surprised, the girl looked down, but said nothing, looking back to Souun as she scratched the nape of Ryouga's neck softly.  
  
Souun did a much better job of looking serious and thoughtful than Genma did.  
  
"I suppose," he began, "That we'll just have to accept this. After all, as long as you're a man at least part of the time, you can marry one of my daughters, although they will have to accept the other part of you. Besides, when you do marry one of my daughters, you'll probably understand her better from being a girl part of the time. I think this isn't any sort of a big problem as long as we're reasonable about it."  
  
Kodora and Kasumi nodded happily, Kasumi partially because her father was apparently finally beginning to recover his senses. Although he might just be numbed emotionally from shock, but she was willing to hope.  
  
Akane and Nabiki were staring at their father, trying to determine if Pod People maybe really did exist. They had been too young when their mother died to really remember how Souun had been before that.  
  
They were going to be surprised a lot by their father. Something about teaching Kodora, and the assurance that the Tendou Dojo would survive, perhaps not subject to the taxations and heavy laws on inheritance, had reawakened the good father in him. The easiest way to tell from his thoughts, of course, was that he was starting to think Genma's 'great idea' of shoving Ranma and Akane together hard as possible might not be so great after all.  
  
******  
  
Silently, the minor Kami in Nerima prepared for the return of the man who'd won the 'Best Father in Nerima' award six years running.  
  
******  
  
Souun turned to his daughters. "Akane, Kasumi, Nabiki, let us go to the dojo. We need to talk."  
  
Numbly, Akane and Nabiki stood and headed for the dojo. Kasumi just smiled encouraginly at Kodora before following her sisters.  
  
Souun Tendou, master of the Musabetsou Kaketou Tendou Ryu, turned to his old friend and training partner, Genma Saotome, master of the Musabetsou Kaketou Saotome Ryu, and unspoken master of the Umi-sen-ken and Yama-sen- ken.  
  
"Saotome-kun, as an experienced father, I find I must give you some advice. Children change. You cannot force them not to. As a matter of fact, if you do, they will merely do it behind your back. It is better to keep everything sane, and in the open."  
  
Genma spluttered. "B-b-but Tendou, surely you can't mean..."  
  
"Saotome, someday you must remind me to tell you of the time I caught Kasumi trying some marijuana." And with that, Souun Tendou headed to the dojo, to converse with his daughters.  
  
Genma just stared at his daughter, who was coddling a green rabbit on her lap, and decided to take a break from reality.  
  
Kodora ignored the THUD Genma made as he passed out on the mats. She was too happy petting the rabbit, that had decided to stay. Maybe she would keep it after all, if Ojisan Tendou wasn't adverse. She'd ask him tomorrow. 


	12. Book Two, Chapter 4: It's all about heal...

"It's just too much to ask of me." Stated Genma. "I will not do it. Try all you like, you will not convince me to train 'Kodora' in martial arts. My son is my son, and I will NOT accept him as such when he isn't acting like it."  
  
Souun Tendou looked sadly at his old friend. He could tell that the man's son/daughter already had very little respect for him. Souun had hoped that spending so much time with his only child would have taught Genma better parenting skills. Apparently not.  
  
"Very well." He said, nodding solemnly to his friend. "I suppose I shall simply train her myself, once she has healed enough. I only hope that your child still respects you despite this."  
  
Genma laughed. "Are you kidding me? I'm all the boy knows to respect! I know him too well. All too soon, he'll give up on this little rebellion, and be back to normal."  
  
Putting on a more serious face, Genma looked stolidly at the owner of the Tendou dojo. "Anyways, I have a new idea for a way to get Ranma and Akane together."  
  
Souun frowned slightly. "Are you entirely sure that that is the best match? Shouldn't we ought to let them decide for themselves in time?"  
  
The two stared at each other.  
  
Then they broke out into laughter at the thought.  
  
Had Genma been paying attention, however, he might have noticed that Souun's laughter seemed a little bit forced.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 11: It's all about healing.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to spring, the end of March, and its nondenominational celebration of the end of winter.  
  
Warning: I borrow stuff from fanfictions I like. If you like, feel free to borrow stuff from me. What's mine is yours. What's yours is mine. What's someone elses is also everybody's.  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, for crying out loud. I'll bet you've seen enough of these to last you until the end of the world.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
***Shortly after lunch, the day after Ch 10***  
  
Kodora put down her Card Captor Sakura manga, and picked up the phone.  
  
"Moshi-moshi, Tendou-ke."  
  
"Ah. Hello, Yasha. It's me, Touhuu."  
  
"Hello, Touhuu-sensei. Actually, name is Kodora now."  
  
"Oh. Good, you chose a name. Kodora, then. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Much better, thank you. My neck feel fine, and the leg and arm only hurt a little. Is funny, but my ribs not broken anymore, either."  
  
"Really. You're healing exceptionally fast. And your Japanese has improved a lot."  
  
"Hai. Kasumi-san has been helping... Hello? Hello?"  
  
Kodora looked at the phone handset. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why the line had gone dead. Oh, well. If it was important, Touhuu-sensei would probably call back. She couldn't call him- she didn't know the number.  
  
*What the heck was THAT?*  
  
*The phone going dead.*  
  
Kodora grimaced.  
  
*Ha-ha, Ranma. Very funny.*  
  
Ranma metaphysically shrugged. *I try.*  
  
Kasumi walked into the family room.  
  
"Kodora-chan, who was that on the phone?"  
  
Kodora looked up at the older girl from where she was sitting at the table, legs parallel to the side of the table, broken leg resting on a small pile of cushions.  
  
"Touhuu-sensei. The connection cut off, though."  
  
Kasumi looked puzzled. "What did he call about?"  
  
"He never say. He ask about my speak Japanese, and I start to tell him you helping me, but then the line go dead."  
  
Kasumi smiled pleasently, though it looked a trifle false to Kodora. "Oh, okay then. He'll call back shortly if it's important." Then she left back into the kitchen.  
  
Kodora stared after the older girl.  
  
*Wonder what THAT was about?*  
  
*Beats me.*  
  
Kodora groaned. *Ranma, have you ever heard of a thing called a "Rhetorical question"?*  
  
******  
  
At the school, Akane and Nabiki were surprised by Kuno.  
  
He had discarded the armor and extra bokken, and seemed to have ditched the banner and all of the spirit-wards as well. He stood under his favorite tree, in his kendo garb, bokken in its case on his back, holding a small good-luck charm, what seemed to be a small scroll, and a ping-pong-ball- sized "weeping Buddha" statuette.  
  
Furthermore, he didn't pester them at all.  
  
That day, even Akane and Nabiki gave Kuno a wide berth.  
  
******  
  
Kuno stood on the roof at lunch, on the edge above the school clock, the objects he'd held that morning in his bookbag, and his bento in hand, looking out over the city.  
  
"Sasuke was right for once. I really shouldn't have eaten my sister's cooking. Why she went back to hallucinogens, I'll never know."  
  
There was a short pause, maybe two minutes, before everybody's favorite off- kilter kendoist spoke again.  
  
"Should my fears prove true of the feral one, I must make amends."  
  
A small white mouse crawled out of the bento in Kuno's hand, dropped to the roof, and scampered away as fast as it could, leaving a streak of what seemed to be sweet-and-sour sauce behind it.  
  
******  
  
Souun walked into Kasumi's bedroom, to find Kodora lying asleep in the bed, a green rabbit with a yellow-and-black bandana sitting watch over her from the pillow her head wasn't on.  
  
He paused a moment and blinked. She had been telling the truth. Although where the rabbit had been since last night, he had no clue.  
  
Souun shrugged and walked over to the bed, not surprised by the fact that the rabbit seemed totally unafraid of him. This WAS Nerima, after all.  
  
He took Kodora by the shoulder and gently shook her awake. "Kodora. Kodora."  
  
The small girl resisted the attempt to wake her up. Even when the rabbit tried to help.  
  
Souun got a thoughtful look on his face, then headed downstairs.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi looked at the tray of cookies she'd just baked. She was sure there had been one more than that. That recipie always made thirty-five cookies.  
  
******  
  
Chuckling to himself, Souun waved the cookie in front of Kodora's face. This had always worked with Genma, and if Genma's child was anything like the man himself...  
  
Sure enough, the small girl woke up, and her first action was to snatch the cookie from the man's hand.  
  
Souun blinked. Of course, Genma hadn't ever taken the bait with his mouth directly, preferring to grab it and retreat before eating.  
  
Chewing, Kodora looked up at Souun quizically. "Mph whmp yf thff mbmmt?"  
  
Noting that Souun had very little knowledge of the language of "My mouth is full", Kodora swallowed, and repeated. "And what is this about?"  
  
Souun, checking to see that all his fingers were intact, took a moment to respond. The girl had very good distance judgement.  
  
"Touhuu-sensei wishes for me to bring you to his clinic for a checkup. You haven't had one as a girl yet, have you?"  
  
Licking her fangs clean, Kodora shook her head 'no'. Then she stared at the rabbit, which had its paws over its nose. Ooo-kayyyy.....  
  
Souun nodded. "Kasumi is kind of busy today, so I will take you there."  
  
Kodora smiled and nodded. "Arigato gozaimasu, Tendou-san."  
  
The moustachioed man laughed gently. "Please, call me uncle. We are practically family."  
  
******  
  
Lunchbreak over, and most of the class after it, Tatewaki finally came down from the roof of the school, having not even opened his bento. He noticed the hole in it, however, and had patched it up.  
  
Nabiki frowned as Kuno accepted his water-bucket punishment without objecting. Usually, he would have spouted at least a full stanza of poetry on his way out of the room, but the school's resident swordsman had been totally silent. He'd looked almost as if he were... thinking. God forbid.  
  
Nabiki was trying so hard to figure it out, she almost got bucket duty herself.  
  
******  
  
This was uncomfortable, Kodora thought.  
  
Then Touhuu-sensei began the next step of the examination, and she amended that thought. This was embarassing, unnerving, somewhat violating, and extremely uncomfortable.  
  
It was actually somewhat of a relief when he got to checking her tail for... whatever he was checking it for... even though he still wasn't using a gentle enough touch on the appendage to keep her from wincing.  
  
******  
  
Souun sat in the waiting room of the clinic, the green rabbit on the sofa cushion next to him, and considered the animal. It didn't look at all diseased or anything, and he hadn't seen any fleas. It would probably be okay to have it around. After all, it certainly couldn't put any more strain on the house than Genma's panda form, considering how much shampoo and bathwater he used. Not to mention towels. Lots and LOTS of towels.  
  
******  
  
Touhuu had progressed to checking on Kodora's former injuries, which she was comfortable enough with to converse with the doctor.  
  
"So, Touhuu-sensei, why did the phone line cut off anyways? Oh, what I was saying was that Kasmmp mmph?"  
  
The doctor had his hand over Kodora's mouth, and his glasses were trying to fog over. "P-p-please don't s-say that name." He stated, trembling.  
  
Eyes wide, the small girl nodded.  
  
"T-t-thank you." Touhuu removed his hand from Kodora's mouth, leaned on the examination table, and took a few deep breaths.  
  
"Ah, Touhuu-sensei? Why you do that? Is something wrong?"  
  
Touhuu shook his head, resuming his former action. "No, nothing's wrong as long as you don't say t-that n-name." Forcefully, he pushed Kasumi from his mind, sweating slightly.  
  
The demon-girl nodded, deciding to ask Souun or Kasumi about it later.  
  
******  
  
Touhuu had called Souun into the examination room, after letting Kodora get dressed again.  
  
"It's quite amazing." the doctor began, brandishing the splint that had been on part of the girl's tail. "It's almost as though she had the chi control of a very good martial artist- her healing rate has been greatly enhanced. At this rate, I'd say she'll be able to get the casts off and okay to go to school within another four days. The bones are almost done knitting." He peered at Kodora. "Are you sure you don't know martial arts at all?"  
  
She nodded, her quills rattling softly against each other. "Ojisan Tendou has been teaching me healing meditation, though.."  
  
Touhuu looked at the Tendou patriarch, surprised. "I thought you hadn't tought since..." He left off.  
  
Souun, for once, managed not to cry. "I hadn't. But... I realized that Akane's skills have been hurting from lack of instruction, and... Kodora here needed my help... I've been mourning long enough. It's time to get back up on that horse, and ride the ride of life again."  
  
Kodora smiled. Her Western euphemisms had been rubbing off on the man, and they suited him well.  
  
******  
  
Standing in the kitchen, as Kasumi worked on dinner, Kodora decided to ask. "Kasumi, why does Touhuu-sensei not like to talk about you?"  
  
Kasumi winced, almost cutting herself with the vegetable knife. "It's... it's my fault. You see, our mother.. she died of cancer."  
  
Despite the fact that the other girl couldn't see her, Kodora nodded encouragingly.  
  
"But," continued the eldest Tendou daughter, "Touhuu-sensei was the one who discovered it. And when Mother passed away, I sort of blamed him at first..."  
  
Kasumi turned her attention to the pots on the stove, wiping one hand on her aqua-green apron. "So, maybe a week after Mother died, I went to his clinic and yelled at him until I couldn't anymore. I frightened the poor man halfway up his wall, I used such language." Turning to face her houseguest, Kasumi gave Kodora a sad look. "I went back the very next day to apologize, but when he looked at me, his glasses fogged up, and he started acting like... like someone high on some drug or other, dancing with his skeleton, trying to practice chiropracty on bookcases... Ever since then, even mentioning me can make him go a little nuts. I keep trying to go and apologize, bring him gifts or snacks or cookies, things like that, but every time I do, he loses it. I have such respect for the man, too."  
  
At this, Kasumi smiled her normal, cheery smile. "I plan on becoming a doctor, too. I always have Akane or Nabiki borrow books from Touhuu-sensei for me. Once my imoutochan are off on their own, in college, I want to go to college too, and then medical school."  
  
Kodora reflected Kasumi's smile, noting that the larger girl really didn't want to talk about this, and decided to continue in the new vein of the conversation.  
  
******  
  
Lying in bed that night, trying to get to sleep, Ono Touhuu shivered. It wasn't often he was reminded of Kasumi such that he began recalling it this vividly.  
  
After the then-nine-year-old-girl had chewed him out over her mother, he expected her to return later and apologize. It wasn't in little Kasumi's nature to do that sort of thing to someone. She'd even used the Tendou Demon Head trick on him.  
  
But, he'd had a surprise waiting for him when he'd headed upstairs from the clinic into the living area that night.  
  
She had been waiting for him. He'd stepped up to her to ask her why she was there, how she'd gotten in...  
  
And then something horrible had happened.  
  
All the skin and flesh on Kasumi's face had melted away, and her body bloated up. She'd started yelling at him again, so loud that the words were incomprehensible, and then the skull-mouth had opened impossibly wide, growing all the while...  
  
He'd fallen in, and hadn't stopped.  
  
Not when the five-armed fuschia dwarf had sliced open his head with a battle-axe.  
  
Not when the giant mosquitoes had sucked him dry right where he could see.  
  
Not even when he'd hit the stalagmites at the bottom of the pit, for they'd pierced him, broken off, and the whole mess had gone rolling off another edge.  
  
Then things had gotten strange.  
  
He remembered running through an Escher Stairs painting, chased by chainsaw- wielding maniacs.  
  
And, of course, the part where a hamburger sandwich had grilled him and eaten him. Slowly.  
  
He would NEVER forget when bloated/skull-Kasumi had reappeared and begun slowly cutting him to shreds, from the edges in. So much blood.  
  
And there were parts he'd blanked out entirely.  
  
The insanity was a shield, and an injury. It was like a scar. He remembered, and it drove him insane. But, since he was insane, it couldn't be done to him again.  
  
And every year, at the same time...  
  
He would have the nightmare.  
  
At least noone complained when he took the three week vacation. But it was getting harder to find a place where his screams wouldn't bring police, and wake neighbors.  
  
******  
  
The cats were out that night.  
  
And for some reason, they were heading for the Tendou Dojo.  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
I know, I know, that was a bit of a dark part, towards the end there. I know this isn't classified as "dark". Live with it. I have to live with not being able to classify this right. It really, by the time I'm done with it, will probably fit into all, or almost all of the categories possible.  
  
At least, that's my goal.  
  
Oh, and whoever it was that said not for Kodora to get a boyfriend or husband. Why not? Gimme a reason. Not that I have plans one way or the other right now. I'd just like to know your reason.  
  
Till next time, Ja ne! 


	13. Interlude, Book Two: A Dissertation on K...

Kodora (standing behind a podium at the top of a huge mesa): Konnichi wa, minna-san! Today, I'm going to show you about Chi, Ki, and magic. To help me out, here are a few friends of mine!  
  
Kodora waves to a small section of curtain, out from which steps a somewhat short, vaguely bishonen boy wearing a tang and kung-fu pants and a pair of outdoor slippers. His unruly black hair is in a pigtail, tied off with what appears to be a bit of string. He looks nervously at the audience with grey-blue eyes and waves.  
  
Ranma: Uh, hi.  
  
Kodora: To help with demonstrating chi, we have Saotome Ranma.  
  
Another wave to the curtain, and out steps a huge, muscular giant of a man with wild, spiky black hair. He wears an orange gi, with a symbol on the left breast, and a larger one on the back. He also has a deep blue tee- shirt, a pair of armbands, and some very large boots on. He smiles somewhat dopily, and also waves.  
  
Goku: Hey there, everyone!  
  
Kodora: Also to help with demonstrating chi, and to help with demonstrating ki, we have Son Gokuu.  
  
A wave to the curtain yet again, and a small boy, brown-haired, in odd green-and-white clothes steps out from behind the curtain. He holds a sword and a small ofuda. He half-glares at the audience, and bows slightly.  
  
Kodora: To help with magic, we have Shorun Li.  
  
One last wave to the curtain, which explodes. As the smoke clears, a tall, leggy blonde with bronze skin can be seen where it used to be, wearing a lot of leather. She has some blue markings on her face, one on her forehead, and one at the outer corner of either eye.  
  
Urd: Hello, everybody.  
  
Kodora: Also to help with magic, but to help with ki and chi a little also, we have Urd of the Norns. And, any second now...  
  
Something small and black, looking somewhat charred falls out of the sky, leaving an impact crater.  
  
Kodora: Ah. Here he is.  
  
Out from the crater steps a badly-charred tiny old man. He is bald, with a very small moustache, and wears a deep purple gi, although most of him has been charred black for whatever reason.  
  
Kodora: Also to help with ki, chi, and magic, is Happousai.  
  
Happousai ignores the audience and tries to glomp Urd, who fries him even more with a thunderbolt.  
  
Kodora bigsweats.  
  
Kodora: Right. And finally...  
  
A short, redheaded woman flies in from the same direction as Happousai came from. She wears a cloak and some very strange, extremely old-fashioned clothes. She also has a sweatband around her head, obscuring her forehead. Her eyes are an odd shade of reddish-orange, and she lands calmly, though she shoots Happousai a glare.  
  
Happousai (snickering): Still too small.  
  
Lina Inverse: DARE BRANDO!  
  
THOOM  
  
Happousai: Ouch. ::falls over::  
  
Kodora grins.  
  
Kodora: He deserved that one. Now, then, shall we start? I will begin by explaining the differences between chi, ki, and magic, aided by Happousai and Urd.  
  
Happousai tries to glomp Urd, and Kamisama fries him with a lightning bolt, knocking him out completely.  
  
Kodora (sweating): Or, maybe just Urd. ::clears her throat:: Anyways. Chi, ki, and magic are used quite often throughout various manga. To outward appearances, they seem to work almost the same way, but each one is a very different thing. The most useful properties of these, are that they each compose a sort of energy source which cannot be measured technologically, and which is usually very difficult to detect, even if one is attuned to them. Urd?  
  
Urd (pulling a diagram from nowhere, with three overlapping circles on it, marked "Nivelheim", "Asgard", and "Midgard" ): Thank you, Kodora. Now, what you see here is a diagram of a typical universe. You have Asgard, the realm of the gods, Midgard, the realm of the living people and animals, and Nivelheim, the realm of the demons. In a typical universe, there are three sources of power. Mana, Pishogue, and Ki/Chi. Mana and Pishogue are used to power magical spells, while Ki/Chi is used in slightly different manners, being of a different nature. Mana and Pishogue are both produced "naturally" by their respective realms of Asgard and Nivelheim. Furthermore, in a number of universes, Mana is produced "naturally" by the other two realms. Mana is only produced by the existence of a realm. Nothing short of Kamisama himself could change the amount of mana produced by a realm.  
  
Happousai gets up, Urd glares at him, and he takes a seat, pulling out his pipe, and looking a bit sheepish.  
  
Urd (Aside, to Happi): I warned you. ::to the audience:: Where was I? Ah, yes. Pishogue is a bit different from mana. For one thing, it is only "naturally" produced in Nivelheim. In Asgard or Midgard, large quantities of negative emotions, pollution (emotional, mental, or physical), or evil rituals are needed to produce Pishogue.  
  
Lina: Wait, doesn't that mean that any demon that comes to Midgard would have no energy for their spells, and be stranded? But we know that doesn't happen.  
  
Urd: Right, Lina, but something else about Pishogue and Mana is that they can be transported from one plane to another. Each entity has a limit to how much Mana or Pishogue they can store within themselves, and they can transport that much with them from one plane to another, for later use. Another thing to keep in mind about Pishogue is that the more pollution or negative emotions that are present, the easier it becomes to access, and the more you can do with less of it. So the ideal Pishogue user would be someone like a typical Ryouga, who generally carries enough dark emotions with him, particularly depression, to almost allow him to access Pishogue without meaning to.  
  
Everyone in the audience near Ryouga sidles away from him except Gosunkugi and Xelloss. Ryouga looks around, puzzled.  
  
Ryouga: What? What did I do?  
  
Xelloss: That... is a secret.  
  
Ryouga gives Xelloss a blank stare, before noticing the shadow on him. He looks up. Right up Mara's skirt. And passes out.  
  
Urd: Although that also means that other Pishogue users in his area have an easier time of it, too. Happousai here will explain the last major bit of difference with Ki/Chi, Pishogue, and Mana. ::bows and heads to the others, taking a seat in a chair that didn't used to be there.::  
  
Happi: Thank you, Urd-sama. ::gets up and heads over to the diagram:: One thing that Urd neglected to tell you about is that this diagram only shows the most common universe type. The second most common is here. ::flips the page on the easel, revealing one with a single circle labeled "universe":: In this kind of universe, effectively Midgard is all there is. There is no Asgard or Nivelheim. Furthermore, in this kind of universe, Mana and Pishogue are very similar, only the opposite of each other, although Pishogue retains most of its typical properties. Now, as for Chi/Ki. Where Mana and Pishogue are unaffected by living things other than in their use, Chi and Ki rely expressly on living things for their production. Chi and Ki are actually slightly different things. Chi is usable only by sentient and semi-sentient entities. This is because Chi is energy formed by one's willpower, and unless one is at least partially self-aware, one does not really HAVE a will to speak of. Therefore, the stronger a person's mind, emotionally, the more Chi they will have access to. Furthermore, exercising your Chi will also increase your reserves, as well as making the energy easier to call upon. ::taps his pipe out on the ground, and begins to refill it:: Ki is somewhat different from Chi. Ki is the actual existence of a thing. ::lights his pipe, and begins to smoke, though the actual smoke from his pipe disappears once it gets about a half- foot away from him:: What do I mean? Well, look at it this way. Matter is energy. If you don't know this yet, take a physics class. Anyways, given any amount of matter, the constant motion of the little bits of it will always produce some energy. Not necessarily very much at all, but it's there. This energy is the basis for Ki. Because the longer the thing sits around, the more energy it will build up. However, even after millions of years, this energy is insignificant compared to the Chi of even an idiot like Kuno.  
  
Somewhere in the back of the audience, a sneeze is heard, and the beginning of a Kuno rant, cut short when Vegeta mashes the kendoist into the floor.  
  
Happi: So where does the rest of the ki come from? Largely from the flow of energy in the universe. Without any ki in the first place, things would have no anchor, and would simply disappear from the universe instantly. Unfortunately, noone knows any more than that about where Ki comes from, although the longer a thing exists, and the more sentient it is, the more Ki it has, fully sentient beings having the most, regardless of age. ::goes back to where he was before, and sits down, taking an occasional puff from his pipe::  
  
Kodora: Thank you, Happi. Now, on to actual use of these power sources.  
  
*********  
  
The screen freezes, and we go to a desk, behind which sit Nabiki Tendou and Michiru Kaiou.  
  
Nabiki: Thank you for watching FNFC, the all-fanfiction channel. We now return you to your normally scheduled fanfiction.  
  
Michiru: But, as you may well have guessed, more sections of this dissertation will be interspersed within it. Thank you for your patience and understanding.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Kinda dry, huh?  
  
I just felt a need to make a collection of the stuff I figured out about the anime/manga multiverse, but where people would read it and put it in context with my fanfiction. I'll try to keep these sections short and far apart, maybe one in each "book" of Passenger. Thanks for being patient enough to read this!  
  
Akane took it into her head to prepare breakfast. A certain panda  
  
awoke at the initial sounds of culinary skirmish, took note of this,  
  
and quietly let itself out through the front door, seeking someplace  
  
where food was food and peril was peril and the two didn't suddenly  
  
try to combine in unholy matrimony.  
  
-Excerpt, "Pool of Drowned Ranma" (Oneshot) 


	14. Book Two, Chapter 5: Nekoken is a Palind...

It was Saturday.  
  
Then again, it usually was Saturday after a Friday.  
  
Of course, in Nerima you couldn't always be too sure of that. After all, there had been that period of time when someone had decided to stick an extra day in between Wednesday and Thursday. It had been labeled "Frobsday" for whatever reason. That had been the 417-day year, which actually caught Nerima up with everyone else. Apparently, they'd had a different calendar for a while.  
  
Which is another example of typical Neriman wierdness countering more typical Neriman wierdness.  
  
Anyways, wierdness aside, it was Saturday.  
  
And Kodora was unhappy.  
  
Usually, Saturdays were great. She loved them. Whole day off, do whatever you want! What a cool idea!  
  
But she was still in casts. She didn't need the crutch much anymore, but the casts on their own were so hampering that Saturday really wasn't much fun for the small girl.  
  
So, tail slowly lashing, she watched Genma and Souun playing cheat-shogi, trying to figure out the rules by watching. It was one of her more... unique abilities, to learn a game by watching it played a few times. Of course, Souun and Genma played cheat-shogi, which accounted for her still not having figured it out.  
  
This particular game, Souun was winning very well.  
  
Which confused the hell out of Genma. Because Souun hadn't been cheating very well. He only tried every third turn. But somehow, he was winning. Genma was trying to figure it out.  
  
It should be noted that Aspirin stock started going up right about then.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 12: Nekoken is a palindrome. Try reversing it.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to Bud Abbot and Lou Costello, a coupla radio greats. Just remember: Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know's on third, Why is the left fielder, Because is the centerfield, Tomorrow's pitching, Today's catching, and I Don't Give A Darn is shortstop.  
  
Warning: Yeah, this again. ::looks up at Tarou, whose massive fist is poised overhead:: On second thought, I won't mention it for once.  
  
Disclaimer: I throw the ball to Naturally, whoever it is drops the ball, and the guy runs to second. Who picks up the ball and throws to What, What throws to I Don't Know, I Don't Know throws back to Tomorrow, triple play. Another guy gets up and it's a long fly to Because. Why? I Don't Know, he's on third, and I Don't Give A Darn!  
  
Abbot: What's that?  
  
Costello: I said, I Don't Give A Darn!  
  
Abbot: Oh, he's shortstop.  
  
Key:  
  
I'll drop this for once. You've seen it enough times. And I'd rather not experience the Touched Soul, thank-you-very-much, Genma.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
"Tadaima!" Came Akane's shout from the front hall as she returned from a shopping trip with Yuka and Sayuri.  
  
"O-kaeri!" Chorused Kodora and Souun. (Genma would have also joined in, but he'd been pandafied a couple of minutes previously.)  
  
Akane walked into the room, and saw the three sitting at the shogi board. For whatever reason (mostly Genma cheating) there were also three pawns, two Othello pieces, and a Monopoly wheelbarrow in places on the board.  
  
Genma believed in not restricting oneself. Besides, that one time he had had to swallow two shogi pieces because he couldn't hide them fast enough.  
  
A few minutes, and several dozen turns passed.  
  
Finally, Kodora couldn't take it anymore, and twisted a bit to look at Akane. Why had the other girl not said anything at all? The TV wasn't on, so what was she doing?  
  
Akane was staring at Kodora's tail, looking somewhat hypnotized. Kodora looked down at her tail to see what was so fascinating.  
  
Let's see. Still attatched, lashing as it always did when she wasn't paying specific attention to controlling it.  
  
Hm. Akane still staring at the tail.  
  
*Hey, Kodora?*  
  
*Yes, oniisan?*  
  
*Let's test Akane's awareness, shall we?*  
  
Akane was still staring, half-mesmerized, at Kodora's tail when it started to make sidewinder movements.  
  
Akane's eyes followed the tip of the tail.  
  
The tail stopped waving, and lifted up into the air, curling over to touch Kodora's right shoulder. Then it shifted its arc to touch her left shoulder. Then it disappeared.  
  
Akane blinked. It disappeared? Where could it have gone?  
  
Akane started looking Kodora up and down, scrutinizing the small girl to try and figure out where the tail had gotten to. Scooting forwards a bit, she looked at where the tail poked out through the pajama bottoms, to trace it.  
  
Then she noticed Souun, Genma, and Kodora all watching her.  
  
And realized where she was looking.  
  
Akane blushed. "Ah, umm... I... er... "  
  
Akane's eyes went blank a moment, then she pulled out a mallet.  
  
"AKANE NO HENTAI!!"  
  
WHAM  
  
The other three all stared as Akane, mallet embedded in her head, gave a "v for victory" sign with her free hand and grinned, before her eyes crossed and she fell unconscious.  
  
Even the panda bigsweated.  
  
[Tendou-kun?]  
  
"Yes, Saotome?"  
  
[You have a really weird daughter.]  
  
Souun wavered for a moment between stoicism and depression, before deciding 'to heck with it'.  
  
And so began Souun Tendou Cry # 74: My Wierd Youngest Daughter Just Knocked Herself Out.  
  
The panda, looking exasperated, absconded from the room with the shogi board. Kodora just watched and waited for Souun to stop crying, or Akane to wake up, whichever happened first.  
  
******  
  
A little past noon that day, Kodora, Nabiki, and Souun were sitting in the dojo. Akane was still unconscious in the family room, though they had removed the mallet from her head.  
  
"So," Continued Nabiki. "I figured I could use the exercise, and besides, it WAS fun, I just really wanted to get working on... other things... at the time."  
  
Her father nodded, glad that Nabiki was showing an interest in the Art again. She really did need a break from the books she'd been hitting. That, and he was still wondering how his daughter avoided getting fat when she was almost never seen without a bag of chips or something on hand.  
  
Of course, Souun had no idea that his daughter had been blackmailing the local locos, as she had told him she was studying with friends or dealing with financial stuff anytime she had gone anywhere.  
  
The Tendou patriarch nodded solemnly.  
  
******  
  
A large green rabbit wearing a yellow-and-black bandanna paused in the living room, staring at the unconscious Akane.  
  
She started to come to.  
  
Then Ryouga noticed the mallet in her hand, and decided to go hide.  
  
Which probably explains why he found himself in the middle of the table.  
  
At least Akane was facing the other way. When the cat walked into the living room, she got up and headed over to pet it instead of Ryouga, who used the opportunity to finally escape the house.  
  
He'd been trying to leave all morning.  
  
******  
  
Souun and Nabiki faced off, Kodora watching and taking mental notes, while Ranma watched and noted the differences between Souun's stance, and a comparable one of Genma's.  
  
"Alright, Nabiki-chan." Said Souun. "Come at me whenever you're ready."  
  
Nabiki nodded, remembering that she had started with this the first time.  
  
Charging forward, she put her full weight behind a heavy punch, and overbalanced when her father sidestepped, tapping her on the top of the wrist. The added force was just enough to overbalance her, and Nabiki fell over forward. As she fell, she twisted to land on her back, already rolling away from Souun. Souun's fist lightly struck the mat where she had been laying a moment ago.  
  
Getting up quickly, Nabiki stood just in time to fall over again, as Souun legswept her. Landing heavily on her butt, she stood again, as fast as she could, and instinctively ducked her father's foot on it's high return arc.  
  
As the two separated, and watched each other, Souun nodded slowly.  
  
"Good, good. Keep moving. Don't give your opponent an easy time hitting you."  
  
*Hey, that's not a martial arts stance!*  
  
*Sure looks like it, Ranma.*  
  
*Yeah, but it's not! The hands are like a Crane stance, but he's got his feet in Crab. I'm not sure he's really doing martial arts...*  
  
Nabiki edged to the right, as did Souun, both moving in a circle.  
  
*Look, Ranma, it works in a fight, right?*  
  
*Well... I guess it could, but still.*  
  
*Oh, for crying out loud. Someone had to come up with martial arts stuff in the first place, right? They were making it up as they went along. Just like it looks like Ojisan is doing.*  
  
Nabiki was now facing Souun, who had his back to Kodora.  
  
*I suppose...*  
  
WHAMCRUNCH  
  
Souun froze. When Nabiki'd charged him again, he'd used an easy throw. There should have been a sound from his daughter hitting the floor, but where had the 'crunch' come from? He turned to see Nabiki, looking a little worried, getting up off of Kodora, whom she had apparently landed on, faceup.  
  
Both casts were shattered.  
  
The two tremulous Tendous tensed timidly.  
  
Kodora sat up, and smiled.  
  
"Am alright. Is not like Nabiki is really heavy, ne? And the casts were to come off tomorrow, so..."  
  
Souun and Nabiki relaxed, seeing Kodora pick herself up off the mat, and stretch. The small girl frowned at how much weaker her right leg had gotten, promising herself to get some good exercise once she got cleaned up...  
  
Hold the phone.  
  
No casts.  
  
Everything's working.  
  
Clean up.  
  
*Ranma, we can take a hot bath! You can have control again for a while!*  
  
*WHOOOOHOOOOOOO!*  
  
Kodora winced then took a deep breath. Souun waited for her to shout about what hurt. After all, she hadn't been totally recuperated yet, right?  
  
"KASUMI-SAN, TURN ON THE WATER HEATER!!!!! THE CASTS ARE OFF!!!"  
  
Both Tendous were bowled over as the smallest Saotome charged out of the dojo, aiming to take a warm bath.  
  
Souun grinned where he lay. The girl had moved so fast that, as he had no warning, Souun had been unable to get out of the way. She had potential.  
  
******  
  
Ryouga, human again, was wandering around somewhere in Nagasaki already, having run for a while. He was thinking deeply.  
  
Ranma was his adversary. His greatest foe. Ranma was the guy he competed with on a regular basis, or at least used to, sometimes for no reason other than it felt right. He liked fighting with Ranma, so long as it didn't get deadly serious. Bread aside, it had actually been kinda fun. And now he'd finally found his opponent. But he'd also realised something. Sure, he knew the Ironcloth technique, and hadn't fought Ranma with it yet...  
  
But Ranma had been training the whole time, too. He probably knew a few tricks Ryouga hadn't run into that he'd learned after the missed duel. And the Ironcloth techniques weren't totally infallible, either. Before he could challenge Ranma again, he would need something new. An edge, of some sort. Something rare and difficult to learn about, or to learn. But also something he himself could learn.  
  
If only there was someone around who might want to teach him a technique. Ah, well. He'd have to find something before trying to return to the Tendou Dojo.  
  
Then again, maybe he could get that girl with the hammer to teach him that trick.  
  
On the other hand, there was a serious stylistic problem with that technique, if it was a technique.  
  
Really, who seriously uses a wooden mallet in combat consistently? It just wouldn't work.  
  
Then Ryouga noticed the cave. There was a sign painted on the wall.  
  
[Pierson, Teng, and Kochiro. Martial Arts Miners. When steamshovels and pickaxes just aren't right, call PTC Mining Company. Also bodyguard services. Call 1(900)7MINING.]  
  
The fangtoothed, bandanna-wearing wanderer shrugged. What the heck. May as well go in and see. Maybe they'd know something.  
  
******  
  
Relaxing in the furo, Ranma sighed.  
  
"Ranma!" Kasumi called from the dressing room. "I've left some of your clothes on top of the washer! Be out in time for dinner!"  
  
"Arigatou, Kasumi-san!"  
  
*Wow. Feels great to be able to take a warm bath again, ne Ranma?*  
  
Ranma smiled. *Sure does Kodora. Now, are you sure about this? I mean, if you want, we could try alternating days one way and the other...*  
  
*NO, Ranma. You were stuck in the back of our head for two weeks. I owe you. If we get splashed, I agree that it's not too important to change back , but were going to try and keep you up front for a while. Besides, the other kids at school have to get used to me being around, and small doses are better at first.*  
  
"Hmm." Ranma muttered. "I guess you're right." *But don't you go stinting yourself on time. It wasn't really that bad. Take as long in control as you like when you come up, alright?*  
  
Kodora sighed. *Fine, fine. But I'm gonna try and keep you up front anyways.*  
  
*Deal.*  
  
Ranma got out of the furo, and dried off. Stepping into the room, he took up the splotchy-forest-green tang and black kung-fu pants, putting them on and carefully doing up all the buttons and ties, making sure the ties could be adjusted if neccessary. One learned to do THAT very quickly, because if you change in a bad situation, you really don't need to spend any extra time adjusting your clothing.  
  
Which was a good thing.  
  
******  
  
Akane sat at the table with the cat, a fat white one, on her lap, waiting for Kasumi to have dinner ready.  
  
Nabiki sat down, and eyed the cat, lifting one eyebrow.  
  
"He just sort of walked in earlier, sis. Cute, isn't he? He belongs to someone on the other side of Nerima."  
  
"Really."  
  
Akane nodded. "His name's Toltiir."  
  
White cat gods of mischief in several billion universes sneezed simultaneously, causing vast numbers of really strange Ranma crossovers, such as Sailor Ranma Dragoon Legend of the Final Fantasy, and other things.  
  
"I'm going to return him tomorrow."  
  
Nabiki nodded. "Just see that he doesn't get into the food or anything."  
  
******  
  
About three minutes into dinner, Ranma suddenly froze solid. Something had just crawled into his lap and it was making THAT sound.  
  
Akane looked around for where Toltiir had gotten to, while the others wondered where the purring sound was coming from.  
  
Ever so slowly, Ranma looked down into his lap, drawing everyone's attention mostly by not stealing their food anymore.  
  
"Mrau." Insisted the white cat. Ranma dropped his chopsticks and bowl, and Genma realised that his gi needed washing again.  
  
"Mau." Answered Ranma. Everyone else at the table stared blankly, while Genma went whiter than his gi. The clean part of it.  
  
Somewhere inside Ranma's head, Kodora was struggling in the Pit.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Whoa. All of a sudden, things are happening. And totally out of order, too! WAY COOL! ahem...right. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Now things are really going to get going. The Nekoken strikes next chapter, and soon Ranma returns to school! And just in time for the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics match precedings, too. Uh-oh.  
  
And what's going to happen with Ryouga?  
  
And who was the enemy Ranma and Kodora talked about back in Chapter One, Book One?  
  
And what am I going to do about Kuno?  
  
And will I ever stop asking rhetorical questions?  
  
Stay tuned for next time, when I answer maybe one of these questions, introduce a slew more, and describe a lot more mayhem!  
  
Oh, the joy and anticipation!  
  
...okay, I'll shut up now. 


	15. Book Two, Chapter 6: Nekoken backwards i...

Mental landscapes are most interesting things, especially to those who can meditate in such a way as to feel them like real lanscapes. All of the important, traumatic, or very enjoyable occurences leave their marks, in the forms of buildings, forests, mountains, temples, usually wherever the event happened or something representative of it.  
  
Usually, none of them are too bad to experience when walking around one's mental landscape.  
  
Not so with the Nekoken.  
  
In Ranma's mental landscape, always within a mile of wherever one would be, there was always a small, broken-down two-room building with a storm cellar. Step into the building, and before you knew it, a huge, bespectacled ogre wearing white with a black belt would grab you, wrap you in something fishy, and throw you in the Pit. The Pit was full of cats.  
  
But not just ordinary cats.  
  
These cats were huge, their fur almost bladelike, with two-foot claws, and sabre teeth. Their eyes glowed like makou pits, or, if you don't know what those are, they glowed like the light coming from an overjuiced LCD. Their whiskers were huge spikes, and they constantly yowled at the top of their lungs. Anyone in the pit was beset by the monster-cats, and worst of all, as fast as they ripped you apart, you would heal.  
  
And Kodora was in there right now.  
  
Luckily, she was old enough to distinguish these demons from real cats, which she rather liked. Ranma, on the other hand...  
  
Later, Kodora would discover that anytime Ranma went into the Neko-ken, she would find herself in the Pit. It was horrible. She couldn't possibly understand what Ranma or her could have done to deserve it. Indeed, she felt that Ranma didn't deserve it at all. But she was sure she did. After all, anything that happened to her was deserved, right?  
  
At least, that's what she had been taught. Unfortunately for Genma, this didn't lessen her buildup of anger towards the rotund martial artist/panda.  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 13: Even reversed, Nekoken is still Nekoken. But in a different order.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to taking the good and bad in life, and giving only good.  
  
Warning: I borrow many ideas and things from other people. No characters, however, and I hope anyone finding stuff of their own make in my fanfictions will realize that I have great respect for these creations.  
  
Disclaimer: I-am-a-good-little-robot-who-will-obey-commands-and-fail-to- take-any-credit-for-these-characters-who-although-created-by-Takahashi-sama- have-begun-to-develop-in-my-care. Ow. Ow. Stop-malleting-me.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Yasha  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
Realizing what had just happened with his son, Genma demonstrated rule # 1 of the Genma Saotome School Of Life: My Own Life And Comfort Come First, So Screw You.  
  
In other words, he ran away, leaving Souun and the three Tendou daughters on their own, with a decidedly less than mentally whole Ranma. The Tendous as a whole were considerably less skilled at abandoning people and saving their own hides then Genma was. Pretty straightforward: he'd been doing it his whole life.  
  
So, the quartet of Tendous stared at Ranma, who shifted on his cushion, until he was crouched in a way reminiscent of a sitting cat, feet splayed, and hands spread on the floor between them, much like most people draw frogs sitting. Not because of a relation between cats and frogs, but because people tend to draw frogs wrong.  
  
Akane shifted, ready to clobber Ranma if he started doing anything dangerous.  
  
Nabiki put her neutral mask back on, and returned to a normal sitting position. Akane could probably defend her: if Ranma HAD gone insane, he probably wouldn't be using martial arts to attack.  
  
Kasumi started to get up, moving to stand behind her father. Ranma was her friend, so she wouldn't run right away, but with how Genma had practically teleported out of the house, she was on her guard, and knew her father was her best bet for safety.  
  
Souun was puzzled, slightly frightened (He knew his old friend had a tendency to overreact to anything that could possibly cause him discomfort, and wasn't as worried as he maybe would have been), and rather curious. Genma hadn't told him about this.  
  
Kodora was in the mental equivalent of pain beyond excruciating, and can be excused for having no opinion on this other than to scream at the top of her lungs. Which really wasn't having much effect on anything anyways.  
  
Ranma-neko looked around. He could smell that toy-food-enemy had just left. Also here were what seemed to be (from oldest to youngest) friend- relative-parent, kind-foodprovider-warmlap, distant-unknown-stranger, and, of course, female-competitor-sibling. Ignoring the real cat as a kitten (it being almost insignificantly small, scarcely larger than appropriate food, and cat-smelling), Ranma-neko decided to go after toy-food-enemy. It felt like playing. But female-competitor-sibling was in the way. Oh, well. She was a competitor-sibling. She probably wouldn't mind being gently nudged out of the way.  
  
Kasumi, Nabiki, and Souun gaped as Akane was sent right into the wall by what seemed to be a tap on the side from Ranma, who was darting past her out of the house on all fours, much faster than anything they had seen before.  
  
Akane wasn't hurt, mostly surprised, and couldn't collect herself enough to be angry. Confused, she looked to her father for an explanation.  
  
Souun simply shrugged at the three looks he was getting. "I haven't a clue. Maybe Saotome-kun will tell us, he seemed to know what was going on..."  
  
The Tendous looked at each other over the remains of dinner, and nodded. Then they all posed, fists together.  
  
"Its: Operation Panda Retrieval!!"  
  
The cat named Toltiir looked at them all and sweatdropped.  
  
******  
  
Kodachi Kuno, on her way to Furinkan to sabotage the locker room, barely caught a roofhopping white blur out of the corner of her eye before something very large plowed through where she had just been standing. Largely because it had shoved her out of the way.  
  
KANNG went her head against a chimney-stack, and she was out like a light on the roof.  
  
Ranma-neko scented her poisons, and gave her a wide safety margin in his chase after the nearly-spherical gi-clad martial artist.  
  
******  
  
Hiroshi and Daisuke, stepping out of a comic shop with their manga (and doujinshi), stopped and stared as something odd, even for Nerima, occured right in front of them.  
  
"'Roshi?"  
  
"Yeah, Dai?"  
  
"Did I just see what I thought I just saw?"  
  
"What did you think you just saw?"  
  
"I thought I just saw a panda in a white shirt with spectacles hanging off one ear jump out of the canal and run for its life, with a guy in red-and- black with black hair chased it on all fours, meowing."  
  
Daisuke turned his head, and saw that his friend was looking the opposite direction from the one he had.  
  
"I don't know, 'Roshi. I was looking over there."  
  
Hiroshi also looked, and froze.  
  
Gojiro was standing there, deep in conversation with Rodan, King Kong, and John Cleese. They were all having coffee, despite the difficulties the three monsters were having with human-sized coffee cups.  
  
The two boys looked at each other.  
  
Hiroshi nodded. "Yours is better."  
  
******  
  
Souun and Akane had grabbed their favourite naginata and mallet, respectively, and were about to set out when they realized that Nabiki and Kasumi weren't with them.  
  
"Come on!" Souun shouted heartily. "They're getting away!"  
  
Kasumi stood there patiently, while Nabiki gave the armed Tendous a critical look.  
  
"And which way were they going, Daddy?"  
  
"....." Came Souun's immediate response.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
Souun had the good grace to look embarassed and sheepish. Akane just stomped off, certain that this was some plot to confuse her or something. She did that sometimes, so the rest of the family ignored it as usual.  
  
Nabiki shook her head. "Lets just go back inside, 'Tousan. After all, Mr. Saotome has to come back here eventually, right?"  
  
******  
  
Eventually being the operative word. Genma, hiding in a rice paddy, currently had no idea where he was. Which still put him ahead of Ryouga, who sometimes didn't realize he had no idea where he was.  
  
Speaking of whom...  
  
******  
  
Ryouga, looking more down than usual, was hopelessly, pitifully lost. The worst part was, he'd begun tunneling his way out of the collapsed cave. He'd had no luck making it out of his tunnel into the fresh air yet.  
  
He used the technique again, and felt a few drops of water leak through. He had just enough time to turn around in order to run for it, when he was thouroughly doused. The disgruntled green rabbit stuffed his clothes into his pack, before hauling it out through the hole.  
  
Poor Mrs. Ishibara took one look at the green rabbit hauling a huge backpack out of a hole in the ground where her koi pond used to be, and decided that maybe a glass of wine a day was too much, and the Good Housekeeping people in Amerika had been wrong. This caused her to miss their lovely article about zucchini keish.  
  
For the time being, this was a moot point, other than that Ryouga, as usual, surprised someone by being in an odd place.  
  
******  
  
Ranma-neko, on the other hand, knew exactly where he was. He was on his way back to his territory. He'd had enough fun chasing food-toy-enemy, and was getting hungry. Maybe kind-foodprovider-warmlap would give him something.  
  
Leaping over the wall into the Tendou-ke yard, Ranma-neko headed for the kitchen, where kind-foodprovider-warmlap was usually to be found. Indeed, there she was, with food. Ranma-neko sat down and complained about the lack of food in an appropriate place (i.e. his stomach). She turned to see him, and called out something.  
  
Ranma-neko could feel friend-relative-parent and distant-unknown-stranger approaching from other parts of the building, but as they posed him no threat, he payed them little heed, waiting for kind-foodprovider-warmlap to produce food for him.  
  
Kasumi looked down as Ranma padded forward and gently pawed at her skirt.  
  
"Prrauu?" he questioned, eyes wide with an unspoken question.  
  
Deciding to hazard a guess, Kasumi reached over and grabbed a handful of the cooked hamburger she'd been using, and crouched down, holding it out on her open palm to the cat-minded boy.  
  
******  
  
Souun and Nabiki, arriving in the kitchen doorway, stopped, the door- curtain resting on their heads, and stared.  
  
Kasumi was sitting on her haunches, petting Ranma on the head with one hand, and he was eating something out of her other hand. He was also, somehow, purring between bites.  
  
After a few moments, Kasumi smiled up at her sister and father, and Souun unfroze. Nabiki was still wondering what the heck was going on. What on EARTH was Ranma doing??  
  
Souun walked carefully over, careful to stay nonthreatening, and peered down at Ranma, who ignored him completely. Food came first.  
  
"Kasumi?" Souun began quietly. "That's some good, quick thinking. I'm proud of you."  
  
Kasumi grinned, further confusing Nabiki. Her sister hadn't done much other than smile in... in....  
  
Well, ever.  
  
"Thank you, Otousan. I suppose now all we have to do is wait for Ojisan Saotome to return, ne?"  
  
Soun rubbed his chin with one hand. "Unless we can break Ranma out of this and ask him. What usually brings people out of this sort of thing?"  
  
All three of them thought long and hard. And realised that, given Ranma, usual things probably wouldn't work. And food hadn't worked either, this was proved by how Ranma'd remained in place, watching them, after Kasumi finished feeding him the handful of hamburger. He was still purring.  
  
Then Nabiki got an idea. "What about the curse? If we activate it, maybe that will bring him out of it?"  
  
Souun shrugged. "It's worth a try."  
  
******  
  
All of a sudden, the Pit was gone. Kodora sat up. She was in the yard, and a little bit wet on the head. Something felt... off, though.  
  
Souun, Nabiki, Kasumi, and Akane, who had just returned, stared at the small girl, who looked even more unusual than normal.  
  
Her quills, still a soft brown, were still in a loose ponytail, though they seemed thicker somehow. She was also entirely covered over the rest of her with the short, soft brown fur that had been coming and going, Kasumi recognised it. There were stripes on her cheeks, darker brown than her fur, in the shapes of wide lightning bolt symbols. Her fingernails had become pointed, now resembling claws.  
  
Kodora looked down at herself, and nearly passed out.  
  
She tried to say something , but the soft fur that now covered her body seemed to have extended into her mind as well, the words were hard to find.  
  
"Can someone..." Her speech was full of pauses as she searched for appropriate words. "Can someone... to help... Kodora into... house? ...am not... feeling quite left."  
  
"Right." Nabiki stated dully. "You're not feeling quite right."  
  
"Is not... is not what I say? To helping me.... please?"  
  
Zombielike, Kasumi moved to help Kodora to her feet, and walked her into the house.  
  
The other three Tendous drifted into the house as well, moving on autopilot. The only coherent thought between the five people in the Tendou- ke was:  
  
"This just keeps getting wierder."  
  
******  
  
"So, Ranma acts like a cat when his fear of them peaks?"  
  
Taking a moment to puzzle out the sentence, Kodora nodded. She resisted the sudden urge to go curl up on the stairs and take a nap. She probably wouldn't have fit on one stair anyways. This was taking some mental effort to remain humanly coherent. Fortunately, she'd always had a strong will.  
  
"And, why, exactly, does this happen?" Nabiki continued the questioning.  
  
Kodora got a look of extreme concentration on her face, and the others waited for her to call up the neccessary words. Eventually she got them untangled from her mental fur enough to try to sound right.  
  
"Is Toy-Panda fault. When Ranma.... of smallness... to drop in pack.... of cat with pit. No food.... in hole for... pack eat.... fish Ranma attatch. Special technique.... Nekoken... to learning from... many time fall. Manual... father read... sticky. Warning miss. Having... try again... lose scared. Not working... cause Ranma-neko. Old lady... friend crazy end." Mentally, Kodora nodded satisfactorily at having managed to get through that without losing track. She was having trouble paying attention to the ideas, especially with that mouse just so far up in the wall behind her...  
  
The Tendous sat around the table with a notepad, trying to make sense of what the small girl had said. It was fairly obvious that she was used to being able to use words far better, and that she was frustrated by her sudden loss of one of her favourite tools. That and her ordinarily near- infinite attention span. With much arguing, they managed to get as far as deciphering that whatever had happened had involved a lot of hungry cats and tying fish to something, and a martial arts technique was involved, when suddenly, Kodora jumped from her seat.  
  
They watched in surprise as she sprang from a sitting position basically straight up the wall behind her, putting a fist into it like a (relatively) low-grade martial artist would put a fist through plaster. This wall happened to be hardwood. Swiftly, she withdrew her hand, dropping to the floor on all fours. There was a soft squeaking, and then her fist moved to her mouth, and the sound went silent. She closed her jaws slightly with a soft crunch, and then swallowed the mouse whole.  
  
Souun, Akane, and Nabiki turned green, and Kasumi just stared.  
  
Kodora took a moment to register what she had just done, and coloured some herself. Although she turned a bit red, more embarrassed than anything else.  
  
It HAD tasted very good. She had never been too squeamish a person in the first place anyways. It wasn't as tasty as a nice, Indian calamari curry, but it was very good nonetheless.  
  
On the other hand, the Tendous' wall might need repairing. Maybe she oughtn't to have done that.  
  
Souun eventually cleared his throat. "Ah... Kodora? What happens when you turn back into Ranma while you're... like this?"  
  
The small nekomusume blinked. "Kodora... not knowing. Is never before... happen."  
  
The Tendou patriarch nodded shakily. "Maybe we should try it?"  
  
Before Kodora could formulate a response, the man had already returned with the warmed kettle, and was pouring it over her head.  
  
Ranma came back to the fore, looking normal aside from the expression of sheer terror and all the sweat.  
  
The Tendous relaxed considerably.  
  
"What happened?" Asked Ranma.  
  
"Well, son, you were telling us something about a fear of cats?"  
  
Ranma shuddered. This would be difficult to talk about. But... he supposed he had to do it. After all, the last thing he remembered was a big, horrendous, sharp-ended white feline monster. Whenever that was his most recent memory.... well, things tended to get reduced to small pieces in the immediate vicinity. Besides, Kodora hadn't told Kasumi about it, and they may as well tell her at least.  
  
And so long as everyone else was here... what the heck. Besides, Kodora might be able to fill him in on whatever happened while he was telling them. Come to think of it, that was his first time goint into Nekoken since she had Joined him.  
  
This ought to be interesting.  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
Bleah. I don't think this is quite up to the rest of the fanfiction, but I'll go ahead and post it anyways. After all, all the rest of this so far has been rough drafts also.  
  
That's right. Nothing in this fanfiction so far has been gone back over or rewritten. Not even a spell checker. Which makes the positive comments I've gotten all the more a surprise.  
  
Anyhoo, tell me what you think about the flip-side of the Nekoken! And next chapter, we may get some more Furinkan High Hazards.  
  
Remember, review as much as you like, so long as it's constructive. If you just say "This is good." or "This sucks." without any sort of an explanation, I'll probably ignore it.  
  
And for the last time, about the names: I use whichever spelling (hiragana or accepted American) I feel like for that particular name. So enough comments on that already.  
  
See you all next time! Ja ne! 


	16. Book Two, Chapter 7: Furinkan High Jinx ...

Souun was staring at Ranma. Nabiki was staring at Ranma. Akane....  
  
You get the picture.  
  
Under the combined stares of the remaining Tendou clan, Ranma was getting very nervous. After telling them the facts (pit, cats, fish sausages, dried sardines, salted sardines, fish cakes, cat food, dead mice, dead birds, cheese sticks, steaks, fillet of sole, haddock, cod, salmon, bacon, eggs (don't ask), dead rats, chicken sausage, lard balls, potato chips (AN: MY cat likes them, anyway... keeps stealing them.), ferrets, guinea pigs, live pigeons, that one time with all the balls of yarn, and, of course, he'd never forget the last one. The TUNA one.), he'd expected some sort of response. Although, actually, he was getting one. He was pretty sure Souun hadn't been that particular shade of green when he started, and Kasumi's skin was usually a nice light tone, not pure white.... Okay, so that WAS a reaction of sorts.  
  
He just wished they'd SAY something.  
  
*Ranma?*  
  
*Yes, Kodora?*  
  
*Why didn't you mention how many times, exactly, it WAS, when you told me about this?*  
  
*Ahh... it slipped my mind?*  
  
Kodora decided that, given Ranma, she'd believe that one. *Okay. May I kill Oyagi?*  
  
Ranma sweatdropped.  
  
*Ah..... maybe later...*  
  
Ranma paled at the response THAT got, and wondered when Kodora had managed to hang around sailors without his noticing.  
  
Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 14: Furinkan High Jinx  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to those who listen to others, and bear sympathy.  
  
Warning: I borrow things from people, but I promise I'll give them back. Really. I'll even fill up the tank, and wash and wax it for ya, too! Please? OOOOOOOOHHHHH, THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!! (Pulls Onna-Ranma Cute Face #3: Cuter than two billion bunnies)  
  
Disclaimer: Enough jokes here... everyone does that. Most of the characters aren't mine, they belong to Takahashi-sama. Anyone familiar with Ranma 1/2 knows which ones they are.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal Conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
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The panda-man in question, however, was currently occupied. Really, that food had been sitting out in the boxes. If the fruit-stand man hadn't intended for it to be taken, why was it just sitting out there? Besides, he'd thought the man would be afraid of his panda form. He certainly hadn't expected a bunch of ninjas to accost him. Especially as they seemed to be using some wierd martial arts...  
  
"Seiika-ken Special Attack: Salad Shooter!"  
  
Genma-panda winced as he was struck in the back by a few of the slices of apple and peach. Who'd have expected food to ever be so SHARP?  
  
Those Ginsu knives didn't look promising, either...  
  
******  
  
Kodora got up out of bed, grateful not to have to deal with the casts anymore, and that the fur and claws didn't reappear when they returned her to the fore. What a relief. Sunday had been fun, all lying around and doing nothing, even if Ranma had had the whole day. They always switched over to her before going to sleep though. This was partly because she needed to learn to wake at the least sign of danger, and partly because she got up before him, and if that happened while HE was up front and asleep, she'd be stuck unable to do anything, but feeling everything he felt.  
  
Three times rolling over a sharp rock in his sleep had convinced her to talk to him IMMEDIATELY.  
  
Following Ranma's suggestion to make everything into training of some sort, and her own willingness to move in interesting and difficult ways, she silently cartwheeled to the door, opened it with her foot while standing on her hands, and finished the last cartwheel to end up standing in the hallway. She slumped down into a somersault, managing to stop in a sitting position on the top step. Standing, she went down the stairs three at a time, landing carefully on each step with one foot.  
  
Ranma, of course, could have done all this (excepting open the door with his foot) about twice as fast with weights tied to him and Genma attacking him the whole time, but then, he'd had a lot more training.  
  
Oh well. She'd just have to keep improving every day.  
  
She was very interested by the way things worked here. She was totally aware that wherever she was, was some manga or anime or other.  
  
That meant the formerly impossible was possible.  
  
And she and Ranma were (well, nominally she) martial artists.  
  
The people in Street Fighter were martial artists. Chun Li and E. Honda for instance.  
  
And she herself was pretty fast. She certainly couldn't do Chun Li's Hyakuretsu-Kyaku as it was, but if she could find some way to train...  
  
As she finished gathering the bath articles, she wondered if she was the first one to think of using a technique to allow human limbs to surpass all normal speeds.  
  
******  
  
Somewhere on a boat between Japan and China, a group of three Amazons, one of whom resembled nothing so much as a living prune, sneezed in unison.  
  
The tallest one, a slender, whipcord woman with green hair in a long braid, reading a book, and wearing a blue-gray pantsuit spoke up in a soft, low, soothing voice.  
  
{Someone speaks of us.}  
  
Kho Lon, perched atop her staff, snorted derisively. {I can't believe one so well versed in magic believes that old myth.}  
  
The green-haired lady turned her head to look at Kho Lon.  
  
{Behind myth, is always substantiation of some sort. It may not be exactly right, but it is like rumour. It has roots somewhere.}  
  
Xian Pu, trying to make wards on a rocking boat, was frustrated both by her failure to succeed and the way the other two acted.  
  
{Spiritualist Sin Ku, please remind me why neither you nor great- grandmother can help me with these?}  
  
Sin Ku, with obvious patience, and a calmness that stated she was not the least bothered by the question, despite this being the hundredth (literally) time it had been asked, responded quietly.  
  
{Because, Xian Pu, you are the one who will be using them. They will be stronger for you than for anyone else. And should you fail your test, your great-grandmother and I have our own to use.}  
  
Sighing, Xian Pu returned to her labor. She still didn't see why she had to do this before sunrise only, though.  
  
******  
  
The Tendou breakfast table was largely quiet, with Souun wishing Ranma a better first day this time around being the most discussed thing that morning.  
  
Meaning four lines had been said about it, largely to the effect of 'Good luck.' 'You'll need it, Ranma.' 'I know.' and finally 'Thanks, Mr. Tendou.'  
  
Ranma got up to go, as soon as Nabiki did. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
Ranma had the good grace to look embarrassed. "I forgot how to get there."  
  
Nabiki frowned. "One hundred yen."  
  
*Don't bother Ranma, we can follow her from a distance.*  
  
*Good point.*  
  
"No thanks."  
  
Nabiki's external frown disappeared, while her internal one deepened. That hadn't gone how she expected. Every time she thought she had Ranma pinned down, he would surprise her again.  
  
******  
  
Kodora spluttered, adjusting the kung-fu pants and the sky-blue tang. "Chikushou."  
  
The ladle lady either didn't see her, or was used to Nerima, at this point noone could have told anymore.  
  
Done fixing her clothes, the tiny demon-girl looked around.  
  
*Kodora? Wasn't Touhuu-san's place around here somewhere?*  
  
*Good idea. He can probably give us directions to school... I lost track of Nabiki.*  
  
******  
  
Touhuu handed over the warm kettle.  
  
"Here you go, Kodora-chan. Could I talk to you a bit before you bring Ranma back, first?"  
  
Kodora nodded, setting the kettle aside.  
  
Could we speak in English, though, Touhuu-sensei? I could use the practice.  
  
Touhuu nodded. Okay, no problem. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about your body. How old are you?  
  
Kodora grinned. Chronologically, actually, or mentally?  
  
The doctor eyed her.  
  
She dropped the grin. Okay, okay, I'll be serious. I was eighteen and a half when this happened. So, I'm maybe three, four months off from nineteen. Why?  
  
Touhuu nodded. Your body is about twelve. A very... ahem developed twelve, but, still twelve.  
  
Kodora frowned, not sure whether to be happy or not. So, I'm going to grow some?  
  
The doctor nodded again. Unless the curse locks your age, which would make you twelve forever.  
  
This time, the small girl paled. But... I WANT to age...  
  
Touhuu smiled. Don't worry too much. According to the Guide, most curses don't, remember?  
  
O-okay. I'd wondered why I hadn't started.. She blushed slightly, and paused, before continuing. ..menstruating yet. Kodora coughed into her hand, somewhat embarrassed.  
  
Anyways, Kodora, you also have to remember that this means your body will likely change some as time goes by, so you'll need to adjust to growing again.  
  
The small girl nodded. Was that all?  
  
Touhuu smiled. Yes, it was. Now go ahead to school.  
  
A cheery smile in return, Kodora poured the water, and Ranma, looking a bit shakey, wobbled out of the clinic.  
  
"I wonder what..." Touhuu paused. "Oh, right. Duh. Menstruating. Heh. Ranma sure looked shocked."  
  
******  
  
After a short detour to the clinic, Ranma arrived at school. The clock read 7:62.  
  
Ranma blinked, then shrugged. School didn't start until 8:30, so... they were early anyway. Exactly how early really didn't matter.  
  
Especially since he'd still failed to beat Tatewaki to the school.  
  
Ranma warily shifted his weight as the pompous kendoist strode towards him, bokken in one hand, bento in the other.  
  
"Saotome Ranma, I, the Koushokou Nichirin (Yellow Sun) of Furinkan High, Tatewaki Kuno, would speak with you!"  
  
Ranma blinked. Kuno was calling himself WHAT?  
  
"And why have you nicknamed yerself the Kousho Kuni Kirin (Trifling Country Giraffe)? Are ya sayin' yer an unimportant bumpkin from th' boonies?"  
  
Furinkan's favourite fool was flabbergasted.  
  
"Saotome, do you perhaps have cotton in your ears?"  
  
Ranma eyed Kuno warily. "No.... why?"  
  
The schizo samurai eyed Ranma similarly. "This is the second time you've misheard me."  
  
Ranma looked confused.  
  
*Kodora?*  
  
*Hahahahahaha....*  
  
*Kodora, did I mishear him?*  
  
*Mmph, heheh, yep! Ha ha...wheee...*  
  
"Ano..." Ranma began. "Er... uh, gomen, uh ne, err... Kuno-sempai..."  
  
******  
  
Toltiir, who was watching invisibly from a celestial lounging chair, having decided to drop by, fell out of it. A Ranma Saotome had apologized. This explained what Satan and Yahweh were doing over there, chatting it up over a couple beers. Satan must have been blizzarded out. The cat grinned. With just a little tweak THERE, he could cause all sorts of... wait. Try that again. Little tweak THERE...  
  
Toltiir frowned as nothing happened. Then he heard Kamisama speaking behind him.  
  
I AM SORRY, TOLTIIR. BUT THE WISH SPECIFIED NO INTERFERENCE BEYOND WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE WISH.  
  
"Chikushou." Stated Toltiir. "Oh, well. Should be fun to watch, anyways."  
  
******  
  
*Ranma, I'm proud of you. You actually apologised!*  
  
Ranma, following Kuno to the gym, looked around nervously.  
  
*I'm still expectin' Oyaji to show up outta nowhere and attack me for this...*  
  
Kodora mentally grumbled something Ranma was sure he really didn't want to hear anyways.  
  
They arrived in the Gym, where Kuno took up a position next to a spindly little baggy-eyed guy with candles stuck in his headband. Both had several shinto wards and a variety of good-luck charms.  
  
"It seems," began the Kendo captain, "That I may have been mistaken in my original estimation of your existence, Saotome. Therefore, I would like to run a test, with the aid of this... thing..." Here, he gestured to Gosunkugi, who waved timidly. "To determine your true nature. Oh, and I would appreciate it if you took your true form for this. Otherwise it may not work."  
  
Ranma frowned. "Whadda you mean 'true form'?"  
  
Kuno responded simply "Your true form. Just that. With the tail and red eyes and all."  
  
Ranma frowned more.  
  
*Ranma, humor him. He obviously couldn't know you're just as real as I am. Although why he chose to believe me the original...*  
  
The frown disappeared.  
  
*If you say so, Kodora.*  
  
"Okay, Kuno. But, ya gotta get me some cold water."  
  
It was Kuno's turn to frown.  
  
Gos wondered if it was contagious.  
  
"For what reason, Saotome?"  
  
Ranma shrugged. "'s how I change, why else?"  
  
Kuno nodded. "Very well. Underclassman Gosunkugi, fetch a glass of water."  
  
While Gos was gone, Ranma and Kuno stood there, exchanging bored stares with each other.  
  
Eventually Kuno got impatient. "What under the heavens has delayed that half-wit?!"  
  
At which point, Gos, running into the room, tripped, and the water few out all over Ranma.  
  
Kodora, prepared for this, immediately reached back with her hair-ribbon, and tied it in an expert bow around her quills, while removing the "string" that Ranma had been using.  
  
Gos's eyes bugged out: he, along with most of the school, hadn't yet seen the transformation. It was rather eerie. It wasn't like a shift or a change in form, really. Just, one moment, Ranma was there, the next, this... demon-thing was, in the exact same clothes. There didn't even seem to be any discontinuity or motion, despite the different positions the clothes took depending on whom was wearing them.  
  
Kuno nodded. "Thank you, underclassman." Then he took up one of the shinto wards.  
  
Kodora eyed the ward. "What's that for, Kuno-sempai?"  
  
Kuno strode towards her. "This will prove whether or not you are a demon. If not, this won't hurt."  
  
Kodora nodded, and allowed Kuno to stick the scroll to her forehead. She froze, as a very strange sensation began there.  
  
Kuno and Gosunkugi stared at her.  
  
Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«  
  
Uh-oh. Now what?  
  
Well, you'll just have to wait for later. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You can only find out by reading! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! YOU WILL NEVER FIGURE IT OUT!!!! AAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!  
  
::mallets nega-Starblade into oblivion:: Er... sorry about that. You will have to wait, though.  
  
Sorry I'm slowing down on turning out the chapters of this, but I'm starting to get to where I've started too many subplots here, and can't quite decide which ones to resolve when.  
  
Oh, that's right, one other thing...  
  
Any reviewers, what do you think of the possibility of Kodora learning martial arts? This question is deliberately vague: I want answers more than yes or no. I need general whys and whats. No technique suggestions, though, I've got more than enough imagination.  
  
And I'm sorry this is one of the shortest chapters. Oh, well.  
  
Ja ne! 


	17. Book Two, Chapter 8: Don't forget to sto...

ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT  
  
Nabiki appears onscreen, looking bored.  
  
"Hey." She says dully. "Do you think most Dragon Ball Z fanfiction has no plot? Are you tired of every single original female character displaying power greater than any of the Z fighters-"  
  
She is cut off, as a dark shadow appears on-screen and mutters to her.  
  
"Look." She answers with a glare. "If you want me to act excited about this, you'll have to pay me much more than that. I don't even LIKE Dragon Ball Z."  
  
The shadow mutters again.  
  
"Fine. Fire me. I don't really care, I was just bored."  
  
Nabiki walks off.  
  
Suddenly, Ryouga steps through the backdrop, which shows an area of canyon, causing it to fall down behind him, revealing a "green screen" like weathermen use.  
  
He gives the shadow hardly a glance.  
  
"Excuse me, but... where is this? I really need to get back to Nerima to try and beat my rival in a duel."  
  
Kodora walks on-screen, opposite the shadow.  
  
"Ryouga, this is the wrong universe. Try going back three steps, then walk in circles for an hour, clap your hands, and jump forty feet."  
  
Ryouga nods. "Got it" and backs up three steps, wandering off before he completes the first circle.  
  
The shadow mutters at Kodora in a disbelieving tone.  
  
"Well," she responds, "It's as likely to work as anything else is with him, right?"  
  
The shadow shrugs, then mutters again.  
  
"No, that's not actually me. Neither is this. We're just SI characters. Can we get back to filming this ad for my DBZ fanfiction now?"  
  
Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 15: Don't forget to stop and dodge the roses.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to all the people who laugh wierd. EEEEEE- heeheeheeheeheeheehyaahyaahyaahyaahyaaaaaaa...  
  
Warning: Okay, enough jokes here too. Besides, I'm beginning to run out of material. I borrow ideas and concepts from people that will fit here. The concepts, not the people. Anywhich, I'm not committing plagiarism: nothing is exactly copied. Besides, suing me won't even win you enough money to pay the lawyers.  
  
Disclaimer: The standard Ranma 1/2 characters don't belong to me, they are owned by Takahashi-sama. I don't consider the Viz Video people to actually own them.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora.  
  
Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«  
  
It was the Furinkan High School basement.  
  
Currently it was occupied by three people. Or two people and a thing, depending on how you define person. Heck, with a specific definition, none of the three would really have counted.  
  
The first was a tall young man, with black hair, deep blue eyes, garbed in a kendo hakama, reminiscent of that worn by shinto priests and priestesses. He clasped a bokken in one hand, and his other was pressing a ward to the forehead of another of the basement's occupants. His name was Kuno Tatewaki. Heck, for all anyone knows, it still is his name.  
  
The second was a short, scrawny, even younger boy, wearing the Furinkan High uniform. The male uniform. Although, considering him, the female uniform wouldn't be too far of a stretch. He had bags under his eyes, and a curious headband held two lit candles to his head. Oddly enough, he never set his hair on fire. His name was Gosunkugi Hikaru. Actually, his name was Gos, or That Scary Kid, or The Quiet Guy. He just aspired to the name Gosunkugi Hikaru. That and his parents liked to call him that.  
  
The first two were staring at the third.  
  
The third was presumably female. She was short, maybe coming up to a full height of 5'4" or 5'5". Not counting, of course, the quills she had in place of a head of hair. These quills were nice and thick, possibly enough to constitute lethal weapons. Toward the back of her head, they became longer, and a soft, white, silk bow bound them into a sort of a loose ponytail. The end of the ponytail, incidentally, ended just above where her real tail began. It was brown-furred, and catlike, although she could consciously control it if she exerted a bit of concentration. At the time in question, the tail was lashing slowly. Also, her irises were crimson, and she had two distinct fangs, although small ones, that tended to peek out of her mouth like they did now. All this identified her as other than human, possibly excluding her from the group known as "people". She was wearing a (very) baggy tang, and also far outsized kung-fu pants and slippers. Her name was Saotome Kodora. She'd chosen it herself, and that was that. She would suffer no other name but "Ranma", and that only by people who didn't know better.  
  
She was trying to stare where the others were staring, and failing, largely because it is very difficult to stare at the front of one's own forehead.  
  
From her forehead was emanating a white light, which shone past the ward, which was of the ofuda type.  
  
"It... tingles..." She managed to comment, before the light washed down her, leaving all of her glowing white.  
  
Kuno dropped the hand from the ward, using both arms to shield his eyes. The ward stayed in place, however. Gosunkugi also tried to shield his eyes from the blinding glow.  
  
Gradually, the glow died down, and the two looked at Kodora.  
  
She was standing there, still as stone. Clasped in one hand was a small ball of opaque blue, which was slowly coruscating with different shades. The ward was gone from her forehead.  
  
Oh, and she was floating a few inches off the floor.  
  
She blinked, twice.  
  
"Whaaaatttt..." She stopped speaking as she noticed the strange echo in her voice.  
  
Kuno, having known what the ward was, and for once prepared, threw a handful of seeds at Kodora. Instinctively, she flung the ball at the seeds. It struck one and was suddenly absorbed.  
  
There was a soft thump as Kodora landed on the floor, whatever had been supporting her leaving instantly.  
  
There was also a large THUDD as a fully-grown rosebush fell to the ground from where the seed she'd struck had been.  
  
The three in the basement performed a unified blink. Then Kuno began to grin, which made Gos lose his cool and run for it. Kuno grinning was NOT a good thing.  
  
"Aha! My second surmisal was correct! That ward, made at high expense to contain force of life and demon-banishing, was absorbed, and redirected to grant lifeforce to the rose seed! You never were a demon, o Feral One!"  
  
Kodora just stood there, watching the kendoist rant.  
  
"You are a KAMI!" he declared. "I would date with you! And so, I must first defeat you in combat again! On guard!"  
  
To heck with guard! Kodora ran for her life.  
  
******  
  
Something was very wrong, thought Kodora, as she was being chased around the school grounds.  
  
Last time she'd fought Kuno, he had been faster than this. He couldn't possibly have slowed down this much: she still wasn't up to snuff from the atrophying of her leg muscles in the cast. She couldn't understand it, and told Ranma as much.  
  
*Ah, Kodora, maybe he's holding back? You know, because he's fighting a girl?*  
  
*Oh. D'yknow what, Ranma?*  
  
*What, Kodora?*  
  
*It really burns my toast that he's that chauvinistic, y'know?*  
  
*...oh.*  
  
*His attitude about this, just assuming that I think he's right about this whole dating thing, that totally scratches my record, y'know?*  
  
As they were running, Kodora and Kuno failed to notice that the other students had started arriving and were watching them run back and forth.  
  
"You may stop playing hard-to-get, my wild beauty! Come, embrace your love!" Hollered the bumbling kendoist, as he chased the small girl.  
  
Only Ranma knew how upset Kodora was getting. It tended not to show on her face.  
  
*Now he's assuming that I LOVE him? I don't even KNOW him! One more stupid comment and...*  
  
Some of the members of martial arts clubs started backing away through the crowd as they saw the demon-girl's battle-aura beginning to manifest in an enraged, neon blue.  
  
*You need not hide behind the mask of maleness, my love! Tell all your true name and nature and hide no more as the false man Ranma!"  
  
Ranma immediately shifted from trying to calm Kodora down, to rooting for her to maul the nitwit.  
  
She was only too happy to obey at this point.  
  
Screeching to a sudden halt, she waited half a second for Kuno to come within range, and slammed one foot out in a one-legged mule-kick.  
  
"HRRRKKK!" Exclaimed Kuno, as his breath was driven out of him. He teetered, but managed to stay on his feet long enough to take a mean right cross from his diminutive opponent. Head spinning, he barely avoided falling down.  
  
Kodora was getting frustrated. She wasn't even knocking him over at all. Frustration made her angrier.  
  
Grabbing the bokken, she ripped it from his grasp, and held it out to one side. Turning, she gripped it with both hands, and twisted her torso away from him.  
  
Kuno, still slightly dazed, pulled out another bokken, straight into guard position, just as Kodora spun full-circle, smashing the bokken in her hands into the one he held. Hers broke where it had hit the one he was holding. His broke at the same spot.  
  
Everyone stared at the splintered bokken, and made mental notes not to get these two angry.  
  
Both tossed aside the broken bokken, and Kuno pulled out a fresh one, backing off.  
  
Kodora stood, head down, shaking with rage. Her innate battle aura was starting to pick up even more with anger.  
  
She began to growl, as Kuno backed off further.  
  
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr....."  
  
Kuno prepared for his special attack, toned down this time.  
  
"RRRRARAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" Kodora snarled, charging straight at Kuno.  
  
"Thousand Strikes!" He exclaimed, lashing out. But he was stopped at the first strike. Something was attatched to his bokken. He traced it away from his hand, and paled.  
  
Kodora stood, frozen, the bokken impaling her through one side of her abdomen. Soft pink blood was running from the wound, though not at a life- threatening rate.  
  
Kuno, fearful of just what he had done, let go of the bokken, backing away slowly, shaking.  
  
The audience was pale and unmoving.  
  
Kodora fell to her knees, battle aura flickering out.  
  
Kuno looked up to the heavens. "What have I DONE???" He shouted out. He didn't expect an answer.  
  
"....." said Kodora, slowly raising her right hand to the bokken, as that hand was closer.  
  
Everyone stared at her.  
  
"...what?" asked Kuno, not believing this.  
  
Slowly, Kodora stood again, not using her hands to complete the motion. Her right hand slowly inched up to the bokken, and grabbed it. With a wet, sliding sound, she slowly and carefully pulled it from the wound.  
  
Most of those watching turned green.  
  
Then a sound began, reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard.  
  
kreeeeeeeeeeEEEEEE  
  
The small girl's hand trembled where it gripped the bokken.  
  
EEEEEEE-FATCH- Went the bokken, as the part in her hand fused into a lump, and the rest splayed out into splinters.  
  
"I said..." Kodora repeated, barely audible, as she walked towards Kuno, dropping the ruined practice sword.  
  
Reaching out, she grabbed his arm.  
  
Suddenly, defying most physics, not that a typical Neriman would have cared, she took his wrist in both hands and swung him high overhead, slamming him back-down into the ground.  
  
WHAM  
  
"YOU'VE"  
  
She swung him over the other way, slamming him down face-first.  
  
WHAM  
  
"PISSED"  
  
Back over.  
  
WHAM  
  
"ME"  
  
This time, she jumped into the air maybe six feet, hauling Kuno up and over as she went into a midair somersault. The startled, beaten kendoist felt the world go over one, two, three times before she let him go at high speed.  
  
"OFFFF!!!!!!"  
  
WHAMMO Went Kuno, slamming into the building, making a noticable crater in the wall.  
  
Unfortunately for her, this sent Kodora flying the other way, right into a tree with a loud THUDD.  
  
Kodora got back up.  
  
Kuno didn't.  
  
Breathing heavily, Kodora looked around until she spotted Akane.  
  
"Akane..." she said, in a raspy voice. "H... Help me to the doctor?"  
  
Moving swiftly, Akane ran over to the small girl, just in time to catch her as she passed out. Barely stopping to scoop Kodora up, Akane ran for Touhuu's.  
  
After about ten minutes staring at where Kuno had become a semipermanent wall fixture, Nabiki started charging the loiterers for the show.  
  
Which, of course, was everyone's cue to head back inside.  
  
******  
  
"Well," Said Touhuu, finishing with Kodora's bandages. "Compared to last time, this is very good. You only passed out from exhaustion, and this wound isn't so bad. Nothing major got damaged, and if you turn back into Ranma, it should heal in no time, based on what you told me."  
  
Nodding, the girl poured the water on herself, returning to a him just in time to keep Touhuu from cinching the bandages too tight. Indeed, what had been a rather nasty-looking hole in Kodora was instantly reduced to a simple, if still large, puncture-wound in Ranma, and the bleeding instantly died away to nothing.  
  
"Ranma, has Kodora considered martial-arts training to prevent this sort of thing?"  
  
Ranma nodded. "Mr. Tendou's gonna teach 'er, since pops won't." He poked at the wound, focusing on it like his father had taught him to, to accelerate the healing. Then Ranma nodded to himself again. "Should be okay in maybe three hours. C'n I go back to school?"  
  
Touhuu nodded. "Here's a note for your teacher. Good luck, and try to pay attention, okay?"  
  
Ranma waved and grinned in return, and headed out the door somewhat sedately.  
  
******  
  
Despite the large bag of bean buns in her hand, Kodora was grumbling.  
  
Ranma had gone out cruising to get a snack after school, when he'd gotten splashed, winding Kodora up with this chore.  
  
Unfortunately, where a cute, female Ranma would normally have been able to kawaii a few extra buns out of the merchant, she'd had to threaten and scare the man into letting her buy them in the first place.  
  
Morosely munching a bean bun, Kodora paused, hearing a commotion on the other side of a wall.  
  
Immediately, she engulfed the whole of the bean bun into her mouth, swallowing and clutching the bag with her teeth. She jumped up as high as she could and just managed to get her hands on the top of the six-foot wall. With some effort, she clambered up to sit on top of it, only to witness a very strange scene.  
  
Three people in 'invisible man' getups, meaning bandaged all over, and jogging suits, were surrounding a girl in an unfamiliar uniform. The three bandaged people were brandishing what looked like mutant bowling pins.  
  
"Pardon me..." asked the unfamiliar girl. She was tall and elegant, with black hair in a single, slightly lopsided ponytail. She also seemed to be wearing a LOT of eyeliner. That or she had excessively thick eyelashes.  
  
"But, you are from Furinkan High School, are you not? Please, no need to rush on my account. If I'm not mistaken, our school match is in one week."  
  
"No more talk!" Shouted the shortest of the trio. "We've got you at last!" Chimed in the tallest.  
  
*What a strange way to dress for combat.*  
  
*You're tellin' me, Kodora. What's WITH the 'invisible man' outfits, anyways?*  
  
"We're finishing you off here and now!" Concluded the thinnest of the trio.  
  
"Prepare to die!" They chorused, charging with gymnastics clubs held high.  
  
Kodora engulfed another bean bun.  
  
*Better than a movie, anyways.*  
  
Ranma mentally nodded. *And if it seems unfair, then you can get some fighting practice!*  
  
Kodora winced, remembering her injury earlier that day, although it was pretty much healed by now. *You sure that's a good idea?*  
  
*Eyes on the fight!* proclaimed Ranma, snapping Kodora back to what was happening in the empty lot.  
  
Snap indeed, for the tall girl was whipping her three downed opponents with the ribbon she had seemingly produced from nowhere.  
  
Dropping the now-empty bag, Kodora hopped to the ground and ran over to the scene. The three in sweatsuits began to sweat and shiver at the appearance of the nonhuman girl even as she caught the ribbon with both hands.  
  
The blackhaired girl froze at the snag in her ribbon, and looked warily at the diminutive person holding the other end.  
  
"I think," began Kodora, "That's more than enough. You've already won, and I really doubt they're going to keep attacking you like this now. Right?" She angled her head so she could glance meaningfully at the three on the ground.  
  
Scared by the tail, quills, red eye, and fang that they could see, the three nodded rapidly, looking like their heads would come off any moment.  
  
"See?" Asked Kodora, her tail lashing rapidly. "I think that's really quite enough."  
  
The much taller girl shifted her grip on the ribbon. "You caught my ribbon. You're no ordinary girl."  
  
Kodora almost facefaulted. "No, really? Ya think?"  
  
Obviously this girl was as blind as Kuno, just in a different way. Kodora and Ranma were both thinking just this.  
  
How right they were.  
  
Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â« Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«Â«  
  
  
  
Whoa. Longest chapter yet.  
  
In the last two chapters, in notes at the end, I asked for reviews and responses to a couple questions. I still would like answers.  
  
The questions were:  
  
1)What do you think of how I handled the Nekoken's effects on Ranma and Kodora?  
  
and  
  
2)What do you think about getting Kodora some martial arts training?  
  
Please, if you have any backed opinion on these things (that means reasons for your opinion too), review. I welcome comments.  
  
Oh, and if you were hoping to suggest techniques or technique names, I've got that more than covered. I've even got something like seven name options for variations on the Amiguriken-punch technique. And maybe thirty ideas for new techniques that don't appear in other peoples' fanfictions or manga. And that's without spending more than a couple minutes brainstorming.  
  
Heh. I love having an imagination. Of course, that's what this is all about, isn't it?  
  
Oh, and yes, I am starting work on a DBZ fanfiction. It won't appear anytime soon though. Whereas with this one, I'm posting it as fast as I write it, I plan on writing a large part of my DBZ fanfiction, then releasing it one chapter per week or something like that.  
  
Until next time,  
  
Oyasumi Nasai, minna-san! (it's 10:06 right now) 


	18. Book Three, Chapter 1: Dancing Tiger, Hi...

The much taller girl shifted her grip on the ribbon. "You caught my ribbon. You're no ordinary girl."  
  
Kodora almost facefaulted. "No, really? Ya think?"  
  
Obviously this girl was as blind as Kuno, just in a different way. Kodora and Ranma were both thinking just this.  
  
How right they were.  
  
The tall girl in the mostly-black school uniform suddenly dropped the handle of the ribbon.  
  
"Good, because I prefer not to treat girls-"  
  
She toe-kicked one of the fallen baton/clubs into the air, catching it with one hand.  
  
"-with common COURTESY!" The black-haired girl exclaimed, lashing out with the club.  
  
Kodora, having seen that one coming a mile away, slid her body back a bit, overbalancing, as she grabbed the club just behind the head. Shoving off hard with her feet, she rolled backwards, pulling the far taller girl down on top of her. Feet pressed into her opponent's gut, she kicked out with both legs as hard as she could. Instead of sending the taller girl flying over her head, upside-down, she misjudged and sent her opponent maybe a foot up into the air just above her.  
  
Realising her error, Kodora instantly rolled to the side, allowing the surprised girl to land on her side on the ground, as Kodora pulled the club both still had a grip on. Immediately, both released it and got to their feet, the club lying on the grass between them. Kodora had her hands at the ready, and was balanced lightly on the balls of her feet, tail lashing swiftly.  
  
The taller girl stood stoically for a moment, then smirked.  
  
"Heh. Well... you are very good!" She stated, flicking a rose through the air at Kodora, who ignored it as it bounced off her arm. "Remember... I'm called the black rose of St. Bacchus' school for girls. Kodachi... the Black Rose. Please don't forget it."  
  
Then she bounded off, easily topping the fence Kodora had clambered up earlier. A disturbing, loud laugh followed her out.  
  
"OOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!"  
  
Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â± Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 16: Dancing Tiger, Hidden Aura  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to the power within all of us.  
  
Warning: I borrow ideas from people when I think the ideas fit what I'm writing. I try not to commit plagiarism. Remember, if I borrow it from you, that means I think it's good, and it's intended as a compliment to you. Well, okay.. that's just a side effect of trying stuff that works.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the standard Ranma 1/2 characters appearing in this fanfiction. If you don't know which ones they are, you should read the Ranma 1/2 manga before continuing any further. That or just forget it altogether.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora.  
  
Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â± Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±  
  
Kodora watched enviously as Kodachi roofhopped away.  
  
*Wish I could jump that high.*  
  
*Ahhh, Imootochan?*  
  
Kodora smiled slightly. *Hai, Oniichan?*  
  
*You did jump like that.*  
  
Blink.  
  
Blink.  
  
*Say wha?*  
  
*You did jump like that, Imooto.*  
  
Kodora shook her head. *I did? When?*  
  
Had Ranma been able to sweatdrop, he would have. *When you got mad at Kuno, and flung him into the wall. Remember that?*  
  
It was Kodora's turn to sweatdrop. *Aheh... not really...* she replied, sheepishly. *When I go like that, everything gets kinda hazy... I remember throwing Tatewaki around, and throwing him at the wall, but all the specifics kinda escape me...*  
  
*....*  
  
For whatever reason, Kodora got the distinct impression that Ranma really wanted to bash his head against something. Ignoring it, she looked around the empty lot, to talk to the three who'd fought Kodachi, but they had left while she was conversing with Ranma.  
  
Shrugging, she turned to walk home, a quarter of her mind on going back to the Tendou-ke, five eigths on conversing with Ranma, and the last little bit wondering what to do about school.  
  
She always did do better when she multitasked.  
  
*It's just that... well, Ranma, not a lot sets me off like that, y'know? But when it does... The best phrase I can find for it is 'berserker rage'. And I don't mean like a berserker technique, or like Vikings.*  
  
*Vikings?*  
  
Kodora nodded as she continued on her way home. She failed to notice that everyone gave her a wide berth. Other than that, though, she didn't get much attention.  
  
This WAS Nerima, after all.  
  
*Way back maybe a thousand years or so ago, there were these people in Northern Europe called Vikings. They were well known for raiding villages and churches, although that wasn't too much of what they did. Supposedly, they were the first people to travel from Eurasia to the Americas since the Beiring Strait.*  
  
Kodora found it relaxing to tell Ranma these things. Besides, he needed some more education anyways, and she knew a LOT of esoteric, usually useless stuff. She'd already taught him about the Beiring Strait and the Americas, and quite a bit about WWI and WWII.  
  
*Yeah, you said that before.*  
  
*Right. So, to prepare for battle, some of the larger warriors would drink this stuff made from a wierd mushroom, and eat the mushroom too. It had two effects: First off, it cut off most blood flow and all the nerves on the outside of the body. This had a side-effect of turning the berserker warriors blue.*  
  
*Freaky.*  
  
*Yeah. Worked well for scare tactics. Anyways, the other effect was that it basically set them raving mad. It wasn't safe to fight in a berserker unit if you weren't berserker yourself, 'coz they had a tendency to cut each other up as well, mostly accidentally. They'd attack anything. Of course, most of them died, either from things like blood loss or because the mushroom killed them. The end result, however, was a fighter who would keep getting back up until they were totally destroyed, with adrenaline- powered strength, who would keep going until there was nothing to kill.*  
  
*Whoa. But, aren't most 'berserker techniques' things that really power up the body and cause intense single-mindedness?*  
  
*Exactly. Those techniques aren't true berserker stuff. What I do, however, pretty much is. When I get that mad, I just keep getting back up, no matter what gets thrown at me. Yeah, my strength and speed get 'turned to eleven', so to speak, but it's not too large a jump, whereas the difference between getting hurt and feeling it, and getting hurt and keeping on coming is really big. A side effect is that when I'm like that, I'll attack whoever's around with whatever's handy, regardless of why I'm actually angry. Also, my vision goes kinda hazy and red at the edges, and I have trouble remembering it.*  
  
*Which is why you don't remember exactly what you did to Kuno.*  
  
*Right. Or how I did it. Fortunately, there's not much that sets me off very easily. If you're gonna annoy me into that state of mind, be prepared to go for a couple days without sleep. However, making fun of people, especially about things they can't help, sets me off really easily. So does trying to force me into something.*  
  
*Hm.* Ranma decided to spend some time fitting that into the puzzle of knowledge he was developing.  
  
Turning one last corner, Kodora headed for the front gates of the Tendou- ke.  
  
*Actually, that means that what I did to Kuno is inexplicable...*  
  
******  
  
"Ojisan Tendou?"  
  
Souun looked up from the shogi board, to find Kodora kneeling nearby, facing him.  
  
"Hai, Kodora-chan?"  
  
Kodora bowed low, head almost touching the floor. Earlier, she'd used a piece of string to tie the end of her tail so that the whole thing wrapped around her waist like a belt. She didn't want to have to focus on keeping it from moving while she was doing this.  
  
"I humbly request that you begin training me in the martial arts, sensei. Will you accept me, Saotome Kodora (Genma snorted derisively), as your student?"  
  
Souun smiled. This obviously meant something to her: she'd gone to the trouble of getting someone to tell her the formal way to go about this. It didn't really matter that she hadn't gotten it quite right.  
  
In Souun's imagination, Kodora was overlaid with images of Akane, Kasumi further back, and even a faint memory of his wife, Tsuki.  
  
Solemnly, with small tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, Souun nodded. "Hai. Arigatou, Kodora-chan."  
  
Kodora straightened up, and was about to ask to go to the dojo, when Genma called her attention.  
  
"Go ahead and learn from him." Genma stated, disapproval plain on his face. "But while you are like this, and while you insist on being a girl, NEVER use the Saotome name. Find your own, get someone to permit you to use theirs, but while you claim to be a 'real girl', you are NOT a Saotome."  
  
Kodora shrugged. "Fine."  
  
Genma nearly fell over, but recovered his stern gaze, although it wavered when Souun frowned at him.  
  
'He really has no idea about this.' Thought Souun. 'I almost pity my old friend, but he brings this disrespect upon himself. Nekoken indeed.' Then he looked to Kodora. 'She's holding it back. This is hurting her more than she's letting on... A lot like I used to do... But what can I...' Something occurred to Souun, and he smiled. Best of all, Nabiki would love this idea, as well.  
  
Rising, he spoke to Kodora. "I will gladly train you. But first, I would like to speak with you and Nabiki about something. Would you come with me to her room?"  
  
Smiling, although it only affected the edges of her eyes, more than it usually did, Kodora nodded, and stood. As she moved, she reached back and pulled the string off her tail, allowing it to resume slowly lashing.  
  
******  
  
Knock, Knock  
  
Nabiki took off her reading spectacles and frowned. Everyone in the family knew that this afternoon was spent on taxes. She'd been doing this every year for almost six years now. Maybe it was one of the Saotomes.  
  
Knock, Knock.  
  
"Nabiki-chan, may we speak with you a moment? I think you'll like this."  
  
Her frown deepened. Her father wouldn't interrupt unless it was very important. Wiping her face to neutral, she stood, and walked the short distance to the door.  
  
"'Tousan, you know I'm doing the taxes?"  
  
"Hai." Came the answer through the door. "Actually, this has something to do with that. May we please come in?"  
  
Sighing, Nabiki opened the door, to reveal Souun and Kodora waiting outside the door. Her father looked happy, and the smallest Saotome looked slightly puzzled and a little happy. Nabiki did a double-take. Wait. Something else was there in Kodora's face and body posture... naah. Too small. She was probably just seeing things. Nabiki mentally reminded herself to swindle the man who came up with fine print.  
  
Gesturing for the two to come in, Nabiki walked back and took a seat in the chair at her desk. "Okay, so what is it? I have limited time, you know. These forms won't fill themselves out."  
  
Souun and Kodora nodded, and took seats on the floor, kneeling.  
  
Souun, for once, decided to be circumspect.  
  
"Nabiki-chan," he started, hesitating a bit. "...The taxes get lowered slightly for each of you three, right?"  
  
Nabiki nodded warily. Where was her father going with this? The man was usually transparent as the spaces between tennis raquet strings. Now, however, she couldn't read him...  
  
"Would it help offset the cost of supporting our guests if you could add another family member to our tax forms?"  
  
Nabiki nodded again. But, where would they get another family member? All who were here were the four Tendous, and the one-and-two-halves Saotomes... wait, he couldn't mean...  
  
"Very well. How about if I adopt Kodora?"  
  
Nabiki was ready with her response. "I really don't think you could persuade Akane or Kasumi to marry Ranma right now, even with my....help? Wait, say that again?"  
  
Souun smiled expansively. "How about if I adopt Kodora?"  
  
Who, by the way, had just passed out, unable to believe this.  
  
Nabiki covered up her own surprise by indicating the unconscious girl. "I like it, but shouldn't you get her opinion too?"  
  
Souun nodded. "Of course." With that he turned to Kodora. "What do... oh, wait. You're passed out..."  
  
Reaching into the pocket of his gi, Souun produced a lollipop. As he dangled it over Kodora's unconscious face, Nabiki did some quick figures.  
  
KRUNCH  
  
Nabiki turned to see Kodora sitting up, chewing noisily. Souun was examining what appeared to be an evenly-sheared-off lollipop stick.  
  
"Kodora-chan, you might want to spit out the wrapper."  
  
Kodora looked up at Souun, and blinked.  
  
"Whmph wmmphm?"  
  
Souun and Nabiki sweated. "Oh."  
  
Kodora swallowed. "Tootsie Pop, huh? Not my fave, but not bad. By the way, the answer is 2,856."  
  
Souun blinked. "Answer to what?"  
  
Kodora grinned toothily. "How many licks."  
  
Souun facefaulted, and Nabiki raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You counted?" She asked skeptically.  
  
Kodora shrugged. "I was seven, and really bored. Besides, I never was one to leave questions unanswered."  
  
Souun got back up. "Anyways, Kodora, how do you feel about the idea of me adopting you?"  
  
"Uh... wow." Stated the small girl. "I... really? I mean, geez. Uhh... Sure! But, I mean... why?"  
  
Nabiki nodded. "I was wondering much the same, 'Tousan."  
  
To Nabiki's surprise, Souun didn't lose any strength under the combined stare of her and Kodora.  
  
"Think about it. My old friend Genma, great a man though he is, isn't exactly the best father."  
  
"What was your first hint?" Kibitzed Nabiki.  
  
Souun cleared his throat. "As I was saying, he really doesn't know how to handle a daughter. Besides, he refuses to let you call yourself a Saotome, so long as you claim to be a girl, and are a girl at the time. I doubt he'll make the same statement regarding when you're Ranma. Anyways, you really look like you could use some family, and you'll hopefully be staying with us for the rest of your life regardless." 'And' He thought, awaiting a response, 'you really need a shoulder to cry on. May Kasumi, in her infinite heart, find the room. I remember she did so for me.'  
  
Kodora smiled brightly, again it failed to strike quite true to Souun. Although Nabiki didn't catch the fault in it.  
  
"I, well... Thank you. Thank you very much... Otousan!" She giggled. "Thank you." She repeated, in a softer voice than anyone had heard from her before.  
  
Nabiki nodded and smiled. "Glad to see more than taxes was behind this. I guess this is welcome to the family, Kodora-imootochan. Now, if you'll excuse me for not rejoicing loudly, I must get back to the taxes. And leave myself a note to get adoption papers, and establish a legal existence for Kodora-chan, here. Go on, scoot."  
  
So saying, she turned back to her desk, as Souun and Kodora got up and headed out of the room, aiming for the dojo. As the door closed behind her, she chuckled softly, a tear in her eye.  
  
"And may you have better luck reviving Daddy than any of us. You seem to have a good start on it... Imooto."  
  
******  
  
Kodora and Souun sat in the dojo, facing each other.  
  
"So, Kodora-chan, you mean to say that you aren't normally able to jump that high, no matter what?"  
  
The miniscule pre-martial artist nodded. "But when I got mad, it just happened. I can't explain it. I know it never happened before, though."  
  
"I think I may know." Souun said thoughtfully. "Look at it this way... when you're angry, scared, or in danger, your subconscious triggers the whole fight-or-flight setup, right? That means that anything you can do, it instinctively tries to do. When I taught you those trances, I was teaching you to access your chi. By the way, you have quite a bit of chi, much more than normal. I expect it comes from also being Ranma. Anyways, I believe you drew on your chi to boost your abilities temporarily. Touhuu- sensei would probably be able to explain it better than I. Incidentally, that's probably also why you passed out from a wound that shouldn't have done that. Since you don't know the best ways to do that, and only some of your chi paths have been in serious use, a lot was lost, which drained you."  
  
"Oh, I get it."  
  
Souun blinked. "Are you sure?"  
  
Kodora nodded. "Hai, Otousan-sensei."  
  
Souun looked slightly dismayed. "Then could you explain it to me? I'm not entirely sure WHAT I just said..."  
  
WHAM Went Kodora's face against the mat.  
  
Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â± Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±  
  
Whew. Another chapter out! This one came relatively easy, it's been flowing better for me lately.  
  
The two questions still apply, I like input.  
  
Incidentally, I don't really subscribe to the "soft/hard" martial arts theory. I prefer the "power vs. speed vs. stamina vs. recovery vs. agility vs. chi vs. technique" way of looking at things.  
  
But that's just me.  
  
That whole thing with Ranma, Kodora, Souun, and berserker and chi and stuff was sort of an explanation. Someone assumed Kodora was actually really strong and fast or whatever, and that definitely wasn't what I was aiming for. Yeah, she's fast compared to a normal person, and a bit stronger than she ought to be, but certainly not above Akane's level, except maybe by a little. Besides, I figured if someone misconstrued it like that, I probably needed to explain a little bit. Further explanations will be forthcoming in the second part of "The Dissertation". Yeah, that interlude.  
  
Besides, it gave me a good opportunity to mention that Kodora had been teaching Ranma stuff. Pretty much everything that she/I had learned before this fic started.  
  
Hey hey, it's tax day! And what a coinkydink, that's what Nabiki's up to!  
  
Keep reviewing!  
  
Jaa ne!  
  
"You're... you're Kasumi. You're nice, you're kind, you...  
  
I care about ya. If you're a vampire, then vampires must be all  
  
right."  
  
-Ranma, in the fanfiction short: The Vampire Kasumi  
  
(By Andrew Aelfwine) 


	19. Book Three, Chapter 2: Familiar as Dance...

"I'm sure if you help me, I can figure out how to do it." Stated Akane, stepping into the dojo.  
  
Then she paused, seeing her father and Kodora sitting facing each other in the middle of the mats. She also noticed the three girls who were following her cringing and suddenly falling quiet. This puzzled her. Sure, Kodora looked very... unusual, and the tail was a bit unsettling, the way it was always lashing, but she wasn't THAT bad.  
  
Kodora got to her feet quickly, and walked over to the other girls, Souun watching puzzledly.  
  
"There you are. I wanted to check on you, see if you were alright. Why did you leave? I was going to ask you what was going on.."  
  
Indeed, Kodora had easily recognised the sweatsuits worn by all three girls, and the bandages covering their hands hadn't made things any harder.  
  
The three girls muttered uneasily, and Akane rubbed her temples. So they HAD been telling her the truth. And here she'd thought Ranma would be afraid to go outside as Kodora or something. Sighing, she made the introductions.  
  
"Yumi, Noriko, Kimi- this is our other houseguest, Kodora Sao-mmp." Akane blinked.  
  
Kodora, holding her hand over Akane's mouth, finished the sentence for her.  
  
"Kodora, just Kodora." She looked up at Akane. "That old man has nothing to do with me, and it's by his own choice, got it?" She removed her hand from Akane's mouth.  
  
"Fine." Akane grumbled. "You COULD be more polite about it, though."  
  
Souun, where he was, nodded. "Your sister is right, Kodora. Apologise, please."  
  
Bowing, Kodora stated simply, "Gomen nasai, Oneesan."  
  
Akane nodded. "It's all right." Then stopped. "Wait, what? Sister?"  
  
Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â± Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 17: Familiar as Dance, Family or that Dunce.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to 42. Or was it Life, the Universe and Everything? Aw, heck. Dedicated to novelists Terry Pratchett, Robert Aspirin, and the number 42.  
  
Warning: I borrow things from other places, you've probably seen them before. I don't get permission, but then, I don't exactly copy them either. Please don't get mad if something of yours is in here: it means I thought it was a good idea.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, and to my dismay, never will. Nuts. Any original characters, though, are all mine, and you need my permission to use them. I'll probably give it, but ask anyways.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyou Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â± Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±  
  
Souun looked slightly stern. "We'll talk about that later." His expression lightened considerably. "So, why are you and your friends here, Akane-chan?"  
  
Akane blinked, but shifted tracks to catch up. "Oh, right. They've been getting ambushed- them and the entire Gymnastics team. It's because of an upcoming match with St. Hebereke. The match is in Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, and they wanted me to be their representative."  
  
Souun nodded. "So, you brought them in here so they could show you the moves?"  
  
Akane shook her head. "No, they wanted to see if this would be an adequate place to train. Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics is a lot like freeform gymnastics competition, with points eliminated, although form can affect victory or failure..."  
  
While Akane and Souun talked shop in the background, Kodora tried to get the three other girls to calm down a little.  
  
Bowing low, she simply said: " Konnichi wa, Yumi-san, Noriko-san, Kimi- san. Hajimemashite?" (Good day, Yumi, Noriko, and Kimi. How do you do?)  
  
"Ah... Doozo yoroshiku ( I am all right)... Kodora..." Ventured Noriko, nervously.  
  
"Please, I am younger than you. You may call me Kodora-chan."  
  
Nodding, Yumi spoke next. "Arigatou, Kodora-chan."  
  
Kodora waved it off. "Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, huh? What's it like?"  
  
Yumi and Kimi turned to Noriko, deferring to the slightly taller girl.  
  
"Ah.." Noriko started off unsteadily. " It's kind of like dancing, gymnastics, and martial arts, all mixed up... You can't strike your opponent with any part of your body, and you must try to be at least a little graceful. Putting flourishes in can usually get you enough points to do well: you're graded not only on whether or not you win, but also on style and how fast you did so. So, if you lose with a lot of style, you can still win, you see?"  
  
Kodora nodded. "I get it. Sounds pretty straightforwards to me. What sort of weapons do you use? All blunt, I would suppose."  
  
Noriko shrugged. "Sort of. I'm not sure you can count the gymnastics ribbon as blunt. The ball, hoop, and club are, though. The rope is also sort of a gray area. It really can't be classified."  
  
Kodora nodded, soaking this all up. It sounded like fun!  
  
*Hey, this sounds kinda fun, Imootochan.*  
  
*Just what I was thinking, Ranma. Maybe I can get them to let me compete instead?*  
  
*Worth a shot, and you could use the practice.*  
  
"Ah, Noriko-san?" Kodora asked. "Do you think you could let me compete for you instead?"  
  
The other conversation came to a halt. Kodora got the distinct feeling that someone was glaring at her. Turning, she saw Akane beginning to build up a mad-on.  
  
"What, you think you could do better than me? You can't even beat me sparring!"  
  
Kodora waved her hands defensively, and shook her head. "No, no, that's not what I meant! I could really use the practice that learning this would give me! It really doesn't matter that you're better than me, I just want to become better than I am now. Besides... it sounds like fun! I want to do it because I want to do it!"  
  
Souun studied the two, as did the three gymnasts. Akane cooled off a bit.  
  
"Yes, but they asked ME. I mean, why should they let you-"  
  
"I think it's a wonderful idea." Interrupted her father.  
  
Akane fumbled the verbal ball. "What? I... she, the... huh?"  
  
The gymnasts looked at Souun quizzically.  
  
"Well, she needs training in martial arts. I was about to start training her, but this will give her a starting point. Also, it will introduce her to at least one competitor, which may help her to do better. Besides, you will need a more or less full-time practice partner if you're going to do this, and I doubt these three young ladies have that much extra time. Here's how we'll do it: You and Kodora-chan will train together, sometimes under supervision from your friends. The night before the match, you two will spar to determine who fights in it." Here, Souun turned to the Fuurinkan gymnasts. "Does that sound good to you?"  
  
The three girls hemmed and hawed a moment. "Well, she's not IN Fuurinkan..." "Will they accept that?" "I don't think the officials would..."  
  
Souun laughed. "Oh, that's easy enough. I was just about to enroll Kodora- chan here."  
  
Noriko blinked. "Well, then, I guess it's all right. We'll start tomorrow- there's about a week until the match. Jaa, matta ashita!"  
  
"Bai bai!" Waved Kodora from the dojo door, totally ruining Akane's adversarial 'I'm gonna win this' stance by not being there to give one back.  
  
The Tendou patriarch shook his head. Akane really was getting to be a bit too competitive.  
  
******  
  
The next evening, Akane and Kodora stood in the dojo. Akane had on a yellow gymnastics leotard, and Kodora a soft green one with a hole for her tail. Her tail was again tied in place with a bit of string, preventing it's waving about and getting in the way. Noriko and Yumi each had a bag of gymnastics instruments that they were unpacking. The two gymnasts were in their sweatsuits, neither one in a condition to teach by example for any of the strenuous stuff.  
  
Akane and Yumi took one side of the dojo, and Noriko and Kodora took the other side.  
  
Noriko handed Kodora one of the gymnastics ribbons, and the small girl fooled around with it a bit, while her instructor got out one for herself.  
  
Noriko looked up at where Kodora had written "frog" in English cursive in the air. She smiled.  
  
"You've used one of these before, haven't you?"  
  
Nodding distractedly, Kodora made a funnel spiral with the ribbon.  
  
Noriko nodded back. "Good. Now, here's how you use it to strike an area as an attack."  
  
Whipping out the ribbon in a careful spiral, Noriko added a snap to her wrist at one point. A tiny, almost invisible ripple traveled down the spiral. When it reached where the ribbon lazily brushed the floor, there was a loud WHAP sound.  
  
Mimicking Noriko, Kodora also managed to produce a WHAP sound with the ribbon, though hers was decidedly weaker.  
  
"Practice it, you'll get it better. Now, on-" Noriko was interrupted.  
  
"ACK!"  
  
Kodora and Noriko looked over at Akane, who had her ribbon knotted all around her. Yumi was standing by, sweatdropping.  
  
*Is she supposed to get tangled up?*  
  
Kodora frowned very slightly.  
  
*That's not very nice Ranma.*  
  
*No, but it's true...*  
  
Shrugging, Kodora turned to Noriko. "What's next?"  
  
"The clubs." Noriko stated, handing two to the smaller girl. "Notice that they're tip-heavy- that weights your blows slightly. Mostly that's to compensate for twirling them to get style points, but in your case, it may also make up for your size. It'll let you land stronger blows."  
  
Kodora nodded, and tested swinging the clubs, one then the other.  
  
"Good," her tutor stated, "But try jabbing with them more than swinging. Like this." So saying, she grabbed up a third club, and stabbed out with it. There was a soft whish as it cut thru the air.  
  
Kodora mimicked this action as well, but considerably slower.  
  
"I guess my arms aren't as strong as yours, Noriko-san..."  
  
The older girl shrugged. "It can't be helped fast enough to fix it by the time of the match. Just do as best you can. Now, try tossing them in the air, and catching them. You'll have to catch all your weapons when your second throws them to you from the corner of the ring."  
  
Nodding, Kodora tossed both clubs straight up. Sort of.  
  
One went leftwards, the other moved much further forward than she had intended. They were far enough apart that she could only catch one, so she dashed forwards and grabbed that one. The other hit the ground with a dull Thud.  
  
Noriko shook her head slightly. "Well, at least you can catch well. That's the imp-"  
  
"WATCH THIS!"  
  
And they did, all three of the other girls, and Souun, who had just stepped in to see how things were going, as Akane jumped up and tossed her two clubs in perfect arcs from each hand to the other.  
  
And missed catching them completely.  
  
BONK KLATTER went the clubs, skittering away from the girl, who stood on her toes, hands raised in catching position.  
  
*Is she supposed to drop those?*  
  
*Oniisan...*  
  
*What?*  
  
*Nevermind.*  
  
Souun shook his head slightly. His youngest daughter WAS wierd. One moment trying too hard, the next not trying enough, as if she thought new things should come naturally to her. He couldn't understand it at all. Neither Nabiki nor Kasumi had acted quite like that. He sat down silently under the "I-Ro-Ha" sign on the wall, and watched.  
  
Noriko picked up what looked like a rubber bowling ball.  
  
"No need." Said her small student. "I played dodgeball. A lot. I know how to use that."  
  
*DUCK!!*  
  
Kodora did as she was told.  
  
WHAMMO!  
  
Then stared where another rubber ball was embedded in the dojo wall. She looked over at Akane, who was facing ninety degrees to the right of the direction the ball had gone.  
  
*Is she supposed to lose her grip on that?*  
  
*That's enough, Ranma. She's trying. It's not her fault she isn't picking it up so fast.*  
  
*Well... I see your point. Okay.*  
  
*Although she could be more careful...*  
  
Souun was about ready to weep.  
  
Kodora turned back to her tutor. "I know how to use a rope too. The hoop is pretty straightforward, right?"  
  
Noriko nodded. "You can throw it like a frisbee, or you can use it to trap your opponent, although they're so large it won't work for very long." She held a hoop out to Kodora. "Care to try?"  
  
"No, thanks, I'll practice it later. Is that-"  
  
"Get it off! Get it off!!"  
  
And again, all eyes were on Akane, who had all four limbs wrapped around the hoop she had been using.  
  
Yumi was sweating. "I told you, Akane-chan. It's a weapon for this match. You don't need to use it to tighten your somersaults. How you got tangled up that badly, though..."  
  
Akane flailed a little bit. "Just get it off-" KRAK"...oh..."  
  
The pieces of hoop fell off of her.  
  
Noriko, Yumi, and Kodora all sweatdropped, and Soun began to bawl. (# 75: My Youngest Daughter Keeps Getting It Wrong And Neither She Nor I Understand Why.)  
  
******  
  
Akane, Kodora, Noriko, Souun and Yumi all sat at the family room table, eating snacks.  
  
"Really, Oneesan,munch" Said Kodora, eating a carrot stick, "It's not that crunchcrunchcrunch bad. gulp You'll get it soon enough."  
  
"Hmmph." Akane grumped. "And stop calling me that. I'm not your sister."  
  
Kodora, grabbing a pear, looked up. "You didn't tell her yet, Otousan?"  
  
Akane glanced in an entirely different direction, where Genma-panda was sunning himself on the back veranda.  
  
[Don't look at me. I don't have any daughters.] The panda signed, otherwise ignoring everyone.  
  
Noriko and Yumi hardly gave the panda a second thought. It wouldn't be the first time a foreign animal had acted funny. For instance, there had been that orangutan with the bookshelf... anyone asking to read the books was likely to end up thrown onto a roof. Eventually, someone had noticed the nametag reading "Librarian- Unseen University", and everyone had left the animal alone until it left.  
  
Besides, this was Nerima.  
  
Souun looked at Akane. "She means me, Akane-chan. Saotome-kun has decided not to accept Kodora as his child, so I am going to adopt her. Nabiki's getting the paperwork for me."  
  
"I- the- it- but- you- she..." Akane trailed off, not even sure how, exactly, she was going to object, only that she had wanted to. "I... I'm going to go talk to Nabiki." And with that, she headed upstairs.  
  
Kodora shook her head. "I hate to have to say this... but Oneesan really needs to learn more patience. She's not going to learn very much or very fast that way."  
  
Nodding, Souun sighed. "I'm not sure what to do." Then he cleared his throat. "But, we have guests. We really shouldn't talk about family matters, alright Kodora-chan?"  
  
"Oh." Kodora bowed slightly to Noriko and Yumi. "Gomen nasai."  
  
"That's alright." Said Noriko. "Anyways, Yumi and I had best be going, studying to do for school and all."  
  
"It's been nice having you over. You will be here tomorrow, too?" Asked Kodora, trying not to sound too eager. It wouldn't be good to scare off a potential friend.  
  
"No, but I will the day after. That's all I can do, though. I haven't enough time the rest of the week."  
  
Smiling, the smaller girl stood up, walking with the guests to the door.  
  
"Jaa matta asatte! (See you the day after tomorrow)"  
  
******  
  
Kodora turned around, to see Souun had followed her into the dojo.  
  
"Planning to help me practice, Otousan?"  
  
Souun smiled warmly. "Hai, Youjo(Adopted Daughter)."  
  
The small girl grinned. "Great. I was going to ask you anyway, since Akane-oneesan doesn't seem... inclined."  
  
The Tendou patriarch frowned slightly at this. "I only wish she would be willing to come to me for help. She says she can take care of herself, but without someone to learn from, she'll never progress much at all in the martial arts..."  
  
Kodora shook her head, somewhat sadly. "She won't listen until she's ready. If you push her to get help, she'll just get stubborn. She'll figure it out in her own time."  
  
Souun looked up at her. "How can you be so sure of that?"  
  
Kodora grinned. "Because I'm a lot like her in some ways, 'Tousan. And that's how I would do it." With that, she grabbed up a club in her left hand, and the ribbon by the handle with her right.  
  
Souun smiled again in return. "If you're sure then." He took up a stance. "Here, put the clubs down first. I need to know just how much you know and how good you are already."  
  
Kodora nodded and put down the clubs.  
  
"I'm not very good: I haven't had any martial arts training, I just know how to dance a lot and that sort of thing."  
  
Souun shook his head. "That doesn't matter too much. Regardless, I need to know where you stand in terms of skill and strengths."  
  
Kodora nodded, and shifted all her weight to the balls of her feet. She stood with her right foot forward, left foot back. Her shoulders were at half the angle from where she was facing that her hips were, and she had both hands up, lightly fisted in a guard position. She kept her head facing Souun.  
  
"First," Began the master of the Musabetsu Kaketou Tendou Ryu, "Attack me, as best you can. Don't worry, unless you're very strong or have trained a lot, you aren't likely to hurt much."  
  
Nodding again, Kodora studied her adoptive father's stance. The closest thing to an opening in it was... there!  
  
Immediately, she charged straight at Souun, running full-tilt. He tightened his guard, preparing for the attack. Maybe two feet away from him, Kodora hopped up slightly into the air, and curled sideways. She drew back her hand rapidly, and then uncoiled both feet in the direction of Souun's stomach, as hard as she could, still traveling forward with most of her running speed.  
  
She almost caught him off guard; he'd shifted one hand when she drew back her right arm, but he managed to get his arms in the right position to block. Kodora felt the shock of impact travel back up her legs, and basically fell to the floor. Rolling to one side, she dodged a lazy stomp from her sensei. She scrambled to her feet, to see Souun waiting for her next attack. She narrowed her eyes, thinking quickly: at this range, another jumping attack was no good, but...  
  
Quickly, she stepped her feet together and swung one up forward as hard as she could, toes pointed, and joints straight. Moving his crossed forearms down, Souun caught it long before it could connect with his chin. Kodora pushed up on his arms, using the force both to keep her balanced, and to swing her foot back down. She tilted her body as her leg moved, windmilling one arm over in an attempt to pound the older martial artist over the head with one fist. He reversed his arms, catching the blow on the sides of his wrists again. He had yet to move his feet after the stomp.  
  
Quickly, she pada-vou-rae'ed to the right, arcing around him, and swung a foot out around the side, to try and kick him in the back. Even as he blocked it with a forearm swung back, she was pirouetting back around, swinging her body behind one fist in a downward arc, to intersect with his shoulder. He caught it, however, and held fast to her hand. Throwing all her weight back, Kodora tried to upset the man, but he stayed steady, shifting his feet into Crab.  
  
*Kodora... he's using stuff from all sorts of styles. But only parts of it... that's kind of wierd... Oyaji and I only use one form at a time. How is he doing that?*  
  
*Dunno.*  
  
And with that, Kodora forced down with her hand, even as she jumped up high, inverting herself over Souun. Then she swung one knee up high(to her), bringing it down at the man's head. Souun quickly flowed out from under the blow, releasing Kodora. Who landed on her head.  
  
About twenty seconds after beginning, she'd wound up downside-up, moderately winded.  
  
"Ow." She stated, dully.  
  
Souun smiled as he helped her to her feet. "Still a ways to go then, Youjo. But you're better than most people who don't know martial arts. Want to try again?"  
  
Nodding, Kodora shifted her weight to the balls of her feet again, smiling slightly.  
  
Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â± Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±Â±  
  
And so it begins. Where's Kodachi now? Oh, you'll see. You'll see. (evil laughter)  
  
Anyways, things progress in the Tendou household, and the Time of Match approaches.  
  
So does Ryouga's return.  
  
And the arrival of Xian Pu, Kho Lon, and Sin Ku.  
  
And who, exactly, WAS the enemy Kodora mentioned waaaaay back in Chapter One?  
  
And why are both Gos AND Sasuke hanging around?  
  
What will Akane do about no longer being the youngest Tendou?  
  
Will John Cleese ever persuade Gojiro, Rodan, and King Kong to join Monty Python?  
  
Will the Librarian ever return to Discworld?  
  
What happened to Kasumi??  
  
Does it really take 2,856 licks to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?  
  
Will I ever stop asking Questions?  
  
You might find out sooner than you think!  
  
By the way, Thanx "Jmj" for noting that. As I was planning to note: I know about the Viking berserkers because I STUDIED the vikings for a TERM PAPER in a HISTORY CLASS. So I know this. Whoever you are who misspelled "berserk", go do some research before you start blathering, kay?  
  
Jaa, ne!  
  
[[["Airen!" Shampoo glomped onto her future husband and began trying to strip him naked.  
  
Tatewaki Kuno was not as happy about that as others might have been. He was trying to wait for the pigtail girl to seduce him like that. He opened his mouth to protest. ]]]  
  
-Deification, Chapter Two, by Brian Drozd. 


	20. Book Three, Chapter 3: Ripples Spreading...

Maybe a half an hour after Noriko and Yumi left the Tendou-ke, Kodora found herself lying, exhausted, on the mats in the dojo. Souun relaxed from the throw position, and stepped over to his soon-to-be adoptive daughter.  
  
He smiled down at her. "Would you like a hand up?"  
  
Kodora waved him off. "No, thanks.... just a moment.... catch my breath..."  
  
Souun nodded. "You're in good shape, though. You need to work on a few things, but I can teach you about those tomorrow. Mostly how to punch, and a few lessons on how to fall. Though, you seem to have a bit of an instinct for that."  
  
Smiling, Kodora flowed to her feet, only breathing a little hard anymore.  
  
Her impending father shook his head at this. "Your recovery time is also... unusual. Eventually, we'll have to test that. Anything else is getting into actual katas and fighting methods."  
  
As the two headed from the dojo to the house, Akane slipped into the dojo.  
  
'I'll show them.' She thought to herself. 'I can learn this much faster and get it better than her, and I can do it on my own!'  
  
Needless to say, within two minutes, she had very effectively bound her arms to her sides with the ribbon.  
  
Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦ Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦ Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦Â¦  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 18: Ripples Spreading in the Water  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to Love and Justice (and a night out with the neighbors).  
  
Warning: High levels of copycatism contained herein. You have been warned.  
  
Disclaimer: Not enough of these yet? Okay, fine. All characters from the original Ranma 1/2 manga and anime are property of Takahashi-sama Rumiko, not me. The ones who aren't from the manga and anime belong to me and noone else. If you want to use my characters, ask. If you want to copy my jokes and stuff, go ahead.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo cursed signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
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Akane sighed. She'd probably never get the ribbon. The clubs were closer to her style, anyways. She'd just practice with them instead.  
  
Half an hour later, Ryoga, passing by the dojo, instinctively ducked the gymnastics club that went soaring over his head. He went to investigate, actually making it into the dojo.  
  
There he found Akane, fouling up with the hoop.  
  
Ryoga did a double-take. "Rhythmic Gymnastics? Never thought I'd see that again..."  
  
Akane looked over at the stranger. Had she seen him before?  
  
"Want some help practicing? I can show you some shortcuts. They won't let you learn the whole thing, but you'll get it faster..."  
  
Akane frowned. "Buzz off. I'm doing this MYSELF. I don't need anyone's help."  
  
Ryoga shrugged. "Okay, but would you at least let me help you get that hoop off? It can't be fun to have both arms and your right leg twisted like that."  
  
"Buzz OFF, CREEP!" Growled Akane. "I can get out of this myself! Like-"  
  
KRAK went the now-useless shards of plastic.  
  
Ryoga, sweatdropping, left before she got mad at him.  
  
******  
  
A mysterious (yeah, right) figure waited outside the walls of the Tendoo-ke for nightfall. The figure was cloaked almost entirely in a brown cloth, which totally failed to ensure anonymity.  
  
Largely because Kodachi had neglected to cover her head.  
  
Sasuke, waiting in the shadows in case she needed him, shook his head. Mistress Kodachi was really quite dense in most ways. Had he not already pledged life service to the Kunos, he would be long gone.  
  
"So." Kodachi Kuno said to herself. "They've asked for help. Those Furinkan High gymnasts are poor losers."  
  
Removing the cloak, she somehow spoke loudly and intelligibly with a rose clamped in her mouth.  
  
"Akane Tendou," Kodachi brandished her large wooden mallet. "Kodachi, the Black Rose.... Shall cripple you!"  
  
The two college boys walking home from the public baths sweated and did their best to ignore the loony. Maybe she wouldn't notice them.  
  
Then they each caught a bouquet of black roses on their bath implements, and passed out.  
  
******  
  
Akane Tendoo stumbled into her room, very ready to go to sleep. Putting her bath things down on the dresser, she stretched her yellow-pyjama-clad arms, and dropped into bed.  
  
"Goodnight, room." She said, muzzily. "Goodnight dresser. Goodnight rafters. Goodnight tall girl with a mallet clinging to my ceiling."  
  
"Goodnight, peasant."  
  
"....."  
  
FWONNNNGGGG!!! Said the mallet, impacting the head of Akane's bed where she'd been a moment before.  
  
Akane landed on her feet, arms in ready position, as the world snapped back into focus. "Who are you?!"  
  
Kodachi came off the bed swinging.  
  
"I am Kuno Kodachi of St. Bacchus'" WHOOSH "School For Girls! I shall" WHISH "Be your opponent next week!" WHANNG  
  
Akane began to get mad. She had LIKED that chair.  
  
"So let us" WHISH "Fight in all fairness!"  
  
DONGGGG Added the mallet, hitting the floor as Akane dodged.  
  
"You call THIS" Akane fumed, reaching into hammerspace. "IN ALL FAIRNESS???"  
  
WHAMMO Went Akane's mallet.  
  
KRAKK Stated Kodachi's mallet, retiring to a life as toothpicks.  
  
An average-height boy of muscular build, wearing a yellow-green tunic and black pants stepped into Akane's room via the window. His pants were tied with cord about the lower legs, and he also wore a yellow bandanna with odd black block-stripes on it.  
  
Both girls stared at him.  
  
Ryoga looked at Akane, pulling his backpack in through the window. "Excuse me, but I seem to be a bit... ah... misdirected. Which way to the bathroom?"  
  
Akane pointed to the hall. "Downstairs, turn around, third door on the right."  
  
The lost boy bowed to her. "Ah. Arigatoo gozaimasu. They really hide the bathrooms well in this theatre, don't they?"  
  
Both girls watched as Ryoga stepped into the closet and closed the door.  
  
"Wait!" Called out Akane. "That's-" She opened the closet to find that the boy had apparently disappeared.  
  
Distracted, she almost missed hearing Kodachi try to strike her from behind with a gymnastics club.  
  
Almost.  
  
Lashing out with a foot, Akane caught the taller, more deranged girl in the forearm, knocking the gymnastics club out of her hand. "Give it up already!!"  
  
Ryoga walked back in through the door to the hall. He looked around confused, as both girls gaped at him again.  
  
"Wasn't I just here? Oh, no, not this again. I'm really tired of going in circles."  
  
He turned to Akane. "Is the Tendoo Dojo around here somewhere?"  
  
"You're in it right now."  
  
Ryoga's mood seemed to drop even further. "So close, and yet so far. May I use your restroom? I will clean it up afterwards."  
  
Akane blinked. "Ah, um.... okay..."  
  
Nodding, Ryoga thanked her. "Domo arigatoo." And left the room. Via the window. He leaned back in for a moment. "Sorry about your closet, by the way." And then disappeared entirely.  
  
Kodachi gave it up as a fouled attempt, and left silently while Akane was peering back into the closet.  
  
What did he mean by....  
  
Pushing some clothes aside, Akane found that her closet had a new door in it. That led to the hallway. A round, splinter-surrounded door.  
  
******  
  
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, KUNO KODACHI!!!!"  
  
The panda sat up. "Grrf?"  
  
It looked around the guest room, but didn't see anything edible, threatening, or unexpectedly valuable, so it went back to sleep.  
  
******  
  
Kodora, already fast asleep, didn't react at all. Not a twitch.  
  
******  
  
Kodachi stood in Dynamic Pondering Pose #3: Let Me Think.  
  
Akane Tendoo would not be disposed easily. She must crush the girl before the match. However, there had also been mention of a "Kodora Tendoo" who might also be her opponent... but that girl would be apparently going for a "grace win" instead of an actual combat victory. Easy enough, but she might as well make sure... So what to use...  
  
Ryoga walked across the roof, counting paces. "Ten, eleven, twelve..."  
  
Kodachi ignored him; she'd seen him pass through the Kuno mansion, somehow without activating any of the traps, but once she'd given him directions to nowhere in particular, he'd made his way right back out and lost himself. No large concern, the man didn't seem much of a thief.  
  
She began producing potential weapons from under her leotard (Do NOT ask. Do not EVER ask.), and tossing them aside.  
  
"Thorned whip... metal pipe... explosive gymnastics ball... solid steel gymnastics hoop.."  
  
KLANGGGG  
  
Ryoga found himself falling off the roof. Straight towards the koi pond. "Dammit! Ranma, this is probably your-" SPLASH  
  
******  
  
It will be noted that, in most Ranma universes, Ryoga gets knocked into a spring at Jusenkyoo by Ranma, who is chasing her (at the time) father. This causes him, in the end to desire further retribution upon Ranma, turning him into a more-or-less total nemesis.  
  
Not so in this universe. This time, in his single-mindedness, Ryoga has discovered the Shi Shi Hokodan much earlier than usual.  
  
But he's not as depressed, because less has happened to him. So, where is he getting his depression from?  
  
Simple. Look at his lot in life. As far as he's concerned, someone has been conspiring to screw Ryoga's life up royally. But... who can he blame it on?  
  
Why not Ranma? That's the guy he's trying to beat anyways, right?  
  
So, he's convinced himself that Ranma is at work behind the scenes to screw him up.  
  
Oh, boy. Ranma had better be prepared for this...  
  
******  
  
Kodora failed to wake up when a large rabbit finally made it to Kasumi's room, and snuggled up with her on the bed.  
  
She also failed to wake up when Kodachi snuck in the window, holding an ominously-shaped object.  
  
When the rabbit bit her on the ear to wake her up, though...  
  
"YEOWTCH! ITAI!" She jumped to her feet.  
  
Ryoga almost snickered. He certainly didn't mind Ranma getting beat on, but he didn't want his adversary to perish at the hands of some mystery girl.  
  
Rubbing the sore point of her right ear, Kodora got a good look at Kodachi and her object.  
  
"The hell are you?"  
  
It should be noted that one of her favorite characters in FFVII was Barret.  
  
Kasumi sat up, stretching. "What's happening, Kodora?"  
  
Kodachi winced. She hadn't expected this. She would have to be extra careful to not injure the eldest Tendoo daughter. After all, that was KASUMI. People don't hurt Kasumi. At least, not when they can help it even the least bit.  
  
Quickly, she grabbed Kodora and strapped the modified video camera to her head, then spun the girl around until she couldn't stand up.  
  
Kasumi stared as the girl then leapt out the window and into the night, trailing rose petals.  
  
Kodora, sitting on the bed, a little dizzy, was forced to watch the tape on the camera.  
  
It was Barney.  
  
******  
  
Across the Fuurinkan-cho, Daisuke sat up in bed, and blinked. He could have sworn he just heard the most awful scream... like someone having their soul ripped out or something...  
  
He reached over and grabbed his bagful of anti-demon and anti-spirit charms, and strapped the ten-pound sack to his neck, then pulled the covers over his head.  
  
He didn't get any more sleep that night.  
  
******  
  
Kodora sat very, very still, screaming at the top of her lungs. "GET IT OFF!!! GET IT OFF!!!! WAAAAAAAAGH!!! I DON'T WANT TO SING THE HAPPY SONG!!!!! HELP!!!!!"  
  
Kasumi got up, and carefully removed the headpiece from the smaller girl.  
  
Kodora grabbed the tape-playing camera from her elder sister's hand, and dug her fingers slightly into the plastic on either side of it. Then she pulled. Nothing happened.  
  
Kasumi started as Kodora turned to face her, a blank look on the demon- girl's face.  
  
"Kasumi..." She asked. "Do you have a hammer handy?"  
  
"Ah..." Kasumi hesitated. She couldn't give the girl the FAMILY hammer, that was too precious... wait. What about...  
  
Reaching into the ki flows of the house, Kasumi strained, and pulled the sledgehammer from the garden shed into her hand.  
  
"...here?"  
  
Grinning, Kodora took the sledge. She threw the camera into the air between her and the window, and hauled back.  
  
"FORE!!!"  
  
KURRRUNCHAKK!!!!  
  
The two halves of the camera flew off into the night, the magnetic tape ribbon linking them together.  
  
Kasumi sat down heavily, exhausted, and collapsed back into sleep on the futon.  
  
Kodora, her mind still in "sleep mode", fell back to sleep immediately when nothing else presented itself. She collapsed onto the bed, wrapped around the handle of the sledge.  
  
******  
  
On the way to school, Ranma walked along the top of the fence, distracted.  
  
*Why do you think it was there?*  
  
*I dunno. I had this wierd dream last night, but I can't really remember it. Something about purple is all I get. Somehow, I think the sledgehammer was involved with that, but I can't say why...*  
  
*Oh well. Think about that later. Look, I'm feeling kinda guilty now.*  
  
*What for?*  
  
*Well, I mean, since we healed, I've been up alla th' time, except when we get splashed.*  
  
*Like in math class, when you got sent to the hallway, and some nut with his hall-buckets went racing by?*  
  
*Right. And even then, you've been heading for the restrooms right away, and sending yourself back down. It's really not fair. Stop doing that. Next time we get splashed, leave off turning back until it's convenient to get hot water, like PE or when you use the restroom after lunch, okay?*  
  
*But-*  
  
*No buts, Imooto. I know you got two weeks, but that was all at the Tendoo's house. You didn't get to do anything. You deserve to spend time up. I wish we could change off days or something, but since there's no way to protect against unexpected shifts...*  
  
*(sigh) Okay, Ranma, you win. I'll spend some time up. I just hope it doesn't go over too poorly.*  
  
*Really, what could go wrong?*  
  
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Okay, by request, I've toned down the amount of Japanese.  
  
Now, as to the spelling...  
  
Here's how it is: "Imouto" and "Tendou" are romanized kanji. You know that.  
  
I didn't use romanized kanji all the time. Some of that was Roomaji. What's the difference?  
  
Take "Imooto". It is composed of the "i", "mo", "o", and "to" sounds. In kanji, however, any double-o sound with few exceptions is printed with a "u" kanji for the second half. Hence, in romanized kanji, it's written "Imouto". I use roomaji, which uses the correct letters for the actual sound, making it "Imooto". Starting with this chapter, I'm going to use only roomaji where I use forms of words other than the officially Viz- approved spelling.  
  
So expect "Imooto", "Tendoo", "Otooto", and the like.  
  
It's like with translation and literal translation.  
  
"Watakushi wa Kodora desu." Translated, comes out "I am Kodora."  
  
Translated literally, however, it comes out "I, being the subject, Kodora am called." Vaguely Yodaic.  
  
But, "I am Kodora" comes closer to the actual meaning.  
  
Get it? Okay.  
  
Oh, one more thing:  
  
I need to know if people want me to continue the "dissertation" extra I began in Book Two.  
  
And the previous two questions still stand.  
  
Till next time!  
  
Jaa ne! 


	21. Book Three, Chapter 4: It Just Gets Wors...

*What could go wrong?*  
  
Suddenly, the sound of a Happodaikirin echoed over Nerima.  
  
"CUT!!!! Someone get me some water a moment, here."  
  
Splash  
  
Kodora looked to the ladle lady. "Thank you. Good aim." Then she turned to the area offstage. "HEY! WRONG SOUND EFFECT!!!"  
  
"Sorry!" Came a voice from offstage. "Wrong tape!"  
  
"I guessed as much. HOT WATER!"  
  
Splash  
  
"I've gotta learn how to do that with water. Okay, Take Two!"  
  
******  
  
*What could go wrong?*  
  
Suddenly, the sound of a lion's roar echoed over Nerima.  
  
"CUT!!!! WATER!!!"  
  
Splash  
  
"Thank you. WRONG EFFECT AGAIN!"  
  
"I'm sorry! Really, I am! But the labels on these tapes are totally unintelligible!"  
  
Everyone in the cast and crew turned to the sound-effects machine. In unison:  
  
"MOUSSE YOU IDIOT! PUT YOUR GLASSES ON!!!"  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"Ohhhhhh...."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 19: It Just Gets Worse and Worse.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to Chex Corn Bran Squares.  
  
You know the warning already. I'm gonna stop giving it now.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, except for the ones I do. And it's probably pretty obvious which is which. Okay then.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
*Really, what could go wrong?* Asked Ranma.  
  
Somewhere in the distance, lightning struck, and thunder rolled over Nerima.  
  
*Ranma, you idiot! Now we're REALLY doomed!*  
  
*Huh?*  
  
*Oh, nevermind. You'll figure it out yourself, I bet.*  
  
******  
  
Ranma sighed in relief as he returned to the ground, after leaping the splash from the ladle-lady. *That was close. We DO need to arrive at school human.*  
  
*Kodora...*  
  
*I know, I know.*  
  
******  
  
Everyone was staring at him.  
  
He could tell. Mostly because they were also whispering to each other about him.  
  
"Hey, he was here on those days...""Yeah, but he disappeared...""Maybe he had something to do with...""I wonder if this means Kuno's gonna get trashed again?""He's back from the hospital already?""So, who is this guy?""Hey, he's cute! I wonder if he'll give me his phone number...""Didn't you hear? He's the one who's engaged to Akane.""What! Taken already? Why don't I ever get any luck?"  
  
Right. Well, at least there ought to be someone who he could have a decent conversation with, right?  
  
******  
  
They were all a bunch of weak perverts. This sucked.  
  
Ranma sat in the middle of a huge cluster of boys between the first and second periods, most of whom were asking rather... improper... questions, without giving him a break to answer.  
  
Kodora was just shocked.  
  
*Now I KNOW you can't possibly do that with a duck. For one thing, noone would let you, especially not Akane, and besides, it wouldn't fit!*  
  
*Kodora, you're scaring me.*  
  
*Ah... sorry. But it wouldn't!*  
  
*Kodora.*  
  
*Right. Sorry.*  
  
*Did the guy with the long hair just say what I thought he just said?*  
  
*Ranma, even KUNO wouldn't dare go within forty miles of that idea. Not willingly.*  
  
******  
  
Komura-sensei frowned at Hiroshi.  
  
"Buckets. Hall. Now."  
  
Grumbling, Hiroshi got up, went to the side of the room and picked up a pair of water-buckets. As he passed Ranma's seat, Koto stuck a leg out.  
  
"WAK!"  
  
Ranma looked up into a bucket.  
  
*Heads up, Kodora.*  
  
SPLASH  
  
Hiroshi clambered to his feet, leaving the bucket he'd held onto on the floor. He glared at Koto.  
  
"What the heck was THAT... for?"  
  
Why was everyone staring at him like that?  
  
He began to back away slowly, and bumped into something.  
  
Something pointy.  
  
Slowly, Hiroshi turned around. And joined everone else in staring.  
  
In Ranma's seat was a very small girl wearing a bucket on her head. She was just finishing tying a bow around her very strange hair.  
  
All eyes except Akane's followed the girl's hands as she reached up and grabbed the bucket. Lifting it up, she balanced it on the horizontal palm of one hand, and turned blood-red eyes on Hiroshi. As she leaned her head on the other hand, her still-slightly-damp quills rattled against each other softly, sounding like a distant wave. She held the bucket out to Hiroshi, and spoke, baring her small fangs.  
  
"Ya dropped this."  
  
The entire classroom, excepting Akane and Kodora, performed a unison blink.  
  
Kodora sighed. "Take a picture. It'll last longer."  
  
CLICK  
  
Kodora blinked her eyes, trying to get rid of the three little green spots in her vision. The three members of the Photo Club at the other side of the room quickly hid their cameras, and whistled tunelessly.  
  
"Thank you." She grumbled. "Can we continue the class already? I already know this stuff, but I'll bet the rest of the students could use the instruction, ne, Komura-sensei?"  
  
"Ah... hai, Saotome-san..."  
  
"Sensei, do not call me that when I am like this. Call me Tendo. Tendo Kodora."  
  
Half of the class chorused "Shaken, not stirred!"  
  
The rest of the class hushed the first half up.  
  
The sensei blinked. "Okay, whoever-san. Back to the lesson..."  
  
Kodora just grumbled and bore the repeat stares, her tail lashing slowly, attracting some of the attention to itself.  
  
******  
  
Kodora sat alone in the cafeteria. Very alone. All of the other students had cleared out from the four tables nearest her.  
  
This really sucked.  
  
Sighing, she got up to go get some hot water from the bathroom.  
  
*Kodora.*  
  
*Yes, Ranma?*  
  
*You promised-*  
  
*I KNOW I promised. But I can't handle this. It's driving me nuts! This is as bad as it was in grade school! I have to go get some warm water and bring you up, because people will at least SIT near you!*  
  
*NO, Kodora. You're going to have to deal with this sometime, aren't you? I mean, eventually you'll have to be up front around people, and you're going to have to get around this. Better now than later.*  
  
Kodora sat back down.  
  
*I guess you're right... but... dammit, it hurts...*  
  
She folded her arms on the table, and thumped her head, face-down on them.  
  
******  
  
That was it. Noriko had had enough. She folded her bento back up, stood up, and took it over, across the huge empty space in the cafeteria. Stopping by Kodora, she reached down and touched the smaller girl on the shoulder.  
  
Kodora looked up, eyes somewhat moist. "N- (sniff) ...Noriko-san?"  
  
Noriko shook her head. "We're friends, aren't we?"  
  
The small girl blinked. "Hai..." she said, slowly starting to smile, "Hai, Noriko-chan." She sniffled a little.  
  
The older girl beamed down at her friend. "Is this seat taken?"  
  
Kodora shook her head. "No, go ahead and sit."  
  
Noriko continued to smile. "So, how are you doing?"  
  
******  
  
Kodora finally finished obliterating Kasumi's tenpura.  
  
"So.." Noriko asked, "I keep hearing that some Ranma person or other turned into you or something?"  
  
Kodora sighed. "I guess you'd have to find out eventually, anyways. ...I'll be right back, don't go anywhere."  
  
She got up, and headed for the bathroom, noting that the large empty area of the cafeteria seemed to follow her.  
  
When she returned, there was a small crowd around Noriko, which froze when she cleared her throat.  
  
The people disappeared so fast, it looked like they'd teleported or something.  
  
Sighing, she sat down, putting the cup of warm water on the table, and turned to Noriko.  
  
"Now.. don't be freaked out by this..." She began. "A few months ago, I was on a trip in China, training in martial arts. My father and I knocked each other into these pools at a wierd training grounds. He came out a panda, and I came out... well... like this. Since then, cold water turns us into our 'cursed forms', as we call them, and warm water returns us to normal. I actually look..."  
  
She poured the warm water over her head, and suddenly Ranma was there, continuing in a much deeper voice.  
  
"...like this."  
  
The silence was so complete, many students would swear later that they had heard dust bunnies forming under the edge of the counter.  
  
Noriko blanched. "But... before the practice session... the changing room... you... you saw us..."  
  
Ranma immediately began flailing his arms about.  
  
"Wait, wait! No! Stop! It's not like that! When I'm like that, I AM a girl. Just like I'm a boy when I'm like this! It's not just a body thing."  
  
Realization slowly dawned on Noriko.  
  
"Ohhh, I get it. Hey, that actually makes sense! Okay, then. So you're both Ranma AND Kodora, huh?"  
  
Ranma nearly fell out of his seat. Since when did people just accept things like this?  
  
"Is it a total personality change, or just some minor stuff? I mean, do you still look at things the same both ways?"  
  
"Um... no, they look different when I'm Kodora. She even has different likes and dislikes. The change, though... 'ts sorta... hard to explain..."  
  
Noriko shook her head. "That's all right, Ranma... but, I have a question..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Could you turn back into Kodora?" Asked Noriko, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm... really not comfortable about the idea of talking with you about certain things when you're like this. Don't get the wrong impression, you seem nice enough, but..."  
  
Ranma shook his head, smiling. "'Course not. I know whatcha mean. Here, you got any water?"  
  
Noriko held out her bottle of Aquafina. "You look kinda silly with that bow in your hair as a guy anyways. Here. I didn't drink any yet."  
  
Nodding, Ranma carefully poured half the bottle out over his head, triggering the change. Kodora loosened her hairbow, and then brought the water bottle to her nose, smelling it. She handed it back to Noriko.  
  
"Pure spring water, my great aunt Rheba."  
  
Noriko gave her a blank look. "Huh?"  
  
Kodora smiled slightly. "That's not pure water, and it's not pure springwater either. Smells wrong."  
  
Noriko blinked. "You can smell water? Isn't it supposed to be odorless or tasteless or something?"  
  
The smaller girl chuckled lightly, her tail beginning to lash slowly. "Myth. It's just a very subtle smell and flavor."  
  
"Ah, Kodora-chan?"  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Since when do you have a tail?"  
  
******  
  
Ku Lon, Xian Pu, and Sin Ku exited the house, all three looking slightly green.  
  
{Really.} Stated Sin Ku. {Who makes a soup with zucchini? I feel rather ill.}  
  
{I know what you mean...} Replied Ku Lon, walking on the ground for once, leaning on her staff. {I think we should find somewhere to camp for a while before returning to the trail.}  
  
Sin Ku nodded in agreement.  
  
Xian Pu moaned quietly. {And after fixing that koi pond, too... Bleah. What a horrible reward...}  
  
And so, Ryoga's wandering brings a possibly beneficial effect to Ranma.  
  
Won't he be livid if he finds out.  
  
******  
  
Ryoga himself, however, had just made it to Furinkan, and was waiting by the gate. Sitting on his pack under the remaining tree, opposite the one Kuno chopped down, he was attracting a lot of attention from the people at the window seats.  
  
He didn't notice them, however. He was deciding what he would say to Ranma when he saw the other boy.  
  
Before he used the Perfect Shishi Hokodan to beat him into submission.  
  
******  
  
Ranma stepped out of the school building.  
  
*That wasn't so bad, was it Kodora?*  
  
*(sigh) I guess not, Oniisan...*  
  
Ranma suddenly looked up, and jumped back four feet. Ryoga crashed, umbrella-first, into the ground, leaving a two-meter-diameter crater.  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"At last, Ranma!" Said Ryoga, not yet looking up. "I finally caught up to you."  
  
Ranma blinked again. "It's.... it's you! Ryoga Hibiki from Tomori Junior High, isn't it?"  
  
Ryoga looked up now, with eyes half-hollow, half-raging. "Why did you run out on our fight, Ranma? Was I not worth it to you? Do you even now refuse to take martial arts seriously?"  
  
Ranma snorted. "Fat lot you know. Martial arts is all I got. And I waited for three days! I only-"  
  
"BUT WHERE WERE YOU ON THE FOURTH DAY?!?!?!?" Howled Ryoga, beginning to glow a sickly green. Suddenly, he calmed, but the odd-colored battle aura stayed. "Ranma." He hissed, "Thirty minutes. The soccer field. I want our duel now. I know I can beat you. And be on time. I know I will."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Okayyy...."  
  
"You!" Exclaimed the Lost Boy, pointing at a random student (who happened to be Daisuke). "Come here, now!"  
  
Very intimidated, Dai walked timidly up to the broad, glowing martial artist. "Y-y-yes?" He managed to squeak out.  
  
"Lead me to the soccer field. I will wait there until Ranma is ready."  
  
Dai nodded quickly, and went to head for the soccer field, but Ryoga shot an arm out and grabbed him firmly by the collar. Then the fang-toothed martial artist turned to Ranma, releasing Daisuke once he was sure the student would not leave without him.  
  
"Just a taste, to show you how hopeless it truly is for you."  
  
He focused, reveling in his personal despair at the family curse of directionlessness. Half-crouching, he crossed his arms over his chest, raising his battle aura further. Dai began to feel distinctly down.  
  
"nnngh...." Ryoga grunted, then shifted his hands, looking like he was striking a two-fisted blow, but with his hands slightly uncurled, one above the other. "Shishi Hokodan!"  
  
Ranma blinked, and then underwent a short inadvertent flight when the rapidly-moving ball of luminescent green impacted his chest. He sat up slowly, wary now.  
  
"Remember, Ranma. Half an hour. I WILL be there. See that you are." He turned to Daisuke. "C'mon, kid, I haven't got all day."  
  
Ranma shook off the last effects of the blow. For some reason, the air felt weighty now.  
  
*Ranma.... I... I think that was a chi-attack!*  
  
*Wha?*  
  
*Look, I read about it somewhere. You use your chi to land from big jumps, and to make the big jumps in the first place, right? And you use it to make your blows stronger and faster in combat, right?*  
  
Ranma nodded to himself. *Yes, on both counts, Imootochan. What does that have to do with it?*  
  
*Ranma, he's found a way to focus his chi outside of himself, and throw it at us. I mean, you. I mean, whatever he wants to throw it at.*  
  
*Okay, but why did it do that? I mean, what made it so... solid?* Ranma rubbed his slightly sore chest.  
  
*I... don't know. Usually to use something like that, you need something to focus on... Like a goal or an emotion or something...*  
  
*Then I should be able to do that, no problem. I just need a little time to work out how to do it.*  
  
*We don't have time, Ranma... but I think I can do it.*  
  
*What? You mean, you've done that before?*  
  
*No, no, but... it's like... I read about people with 'phantom limbs', didn't I tell you about that?*  
  
*Y' mean when the person gets their arm cut off, but it still feels like they got an arm?*  
  
*Exactly. Now, think about it a minute. You know how to focus your chi inside your body, but you could probably do it with a phantom limb. And I've already adapted to having a tail... it's not too far a cry to consider it like an extension of yourself into the air. But I'll need something to focus on...*  
  
Kodora mentally shuddered. The stronger, the more major the influence of your focus on your life, the stronger the willpower would manifest. And she knew many things with influence on her life. One was overwhelming, though, and she hoped she wouldn't have to rely on it.  
  
Because it might kill her. And that would mean killing Ranma. She couldn't do that to Ranma.  
  
But she kept it in mind, just in case things began to get out of hand.  
  
And it was always safest to be prepared....  
  
*Ranma, I may need to fight for this one...*  
  
Ranma frowned. *Kodora, I know Ryoga. You can't handle him. Especially not with his new attack, no matter what you know.*  
  
*You think I don't know that? But if things look really bad, you'll have to switch with me. I have something, but it's rather... last-ditch. Oh, and in case I have to use it... we'd better go find Akane. I need her to do something...*  
  
******  
  
Akane was frustrated, but running as fast as she could anyways. Ranma, looking a bit pale, had pressed the folded note into her hand, and told her to get it to Kasumi ASAP. Then she was to bring Kasumi to the school soccer field.  
  
Normally, she would have told him to take it himself, but he had seemed so serious...  
  
She decided to take a peek at the note while she was running. He hadn't said not to read it, after all.  
  
Half a block later, she nearly stopped and fainted. Akane shook herself. That was serious. She had to get to Kasumi faster...  
  
Akane ran as hard as she ever had in her life.  
  
More than one life might depend on it.  
  
******  
  
Ranma stood on the soccer field, facing Ryoga.  
  
"Are you ready Ryoga?"  
  
Ryoga looked up from the list of his own faults he had been reading. "It's not time yet, Saotome. Five more minutes. We will end this exactly on time, because it started always early or late."  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Suit yourself."  
  
******  
  
Kasumi stumbled out the door, still wearing her housedress and apron. She hadn't even bothered to get her coat. Akane ran beside her, surprised that her oneechan was still able to move so fast.  
  
The fight should be beginning within another minute. She had to get there as quickly as possible. Things were worse than she had suspected. Her face carried an expression that had not been seen on the Tendoo girl since her mother's death.  
  
Panic.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Finally, something comes to a head.  
  
Sorry to start light, and then go down, but the story flows in that direction here, partially so that it can rise up again later.  
  
Rather roller-coaster-esque, you could say.  
  
But what effect will this have on the Ranmaverse?  
  
And what, exactly, is Kodora's 'last resort' thing, anyways? How will it win the battle if it is truly needed?  
  
Will Kodora be making another visit to Toohuu's office?  
  
And just what scared Akane, Ranma, and even shook Kasumi to the core?  
  
For once, some answers will follow the questions in short order. 


	22. Book Three, Chapter 5: Deeper Scars

Ranma and Ryoga stood simultaneously, Ryoga dropping a piece of paper with a long list on it.  
  
A list he had made when he realized the true power of the Shishi Hokodan.  
  
A list of reasons why he hated himself... and why he hated Ranma.  
  
Ranma stared back, externally of cold steel. Inside, however, he was extremely nervous. If what Kodora had asked him to write in the note were true...  
  
Ranma was desperately hoping and praying it would not come to that, but if it was necessary to win, he would take the option. Kodora may have made him less chauvinistic, less prone to foot-in-mouth, and considerably better at social graces...  
  
But Saotome Ranma still didn't lose.  
  
Kodora was meditating. She would do everything she could to help Ranma. That was her personal goal here. Her own safety was of no concern to herself, not when someone else's happiness stood on the line. And she knew, from living so closely with Ranma, that if he lost.... That if he really truly lost... irrevocably...  
  
He himself would be just as irrevocably lost.  
  
She only hoped they didn't lose for winning.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 20: Deeper Wounds  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to all of us lost people, those who still look for purpose, but keep plugging away from determination.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Ranma 1/2 characters. I do own Kodora, the particular Sin Ku who appears in my fanfiction, and several other bit parts. If you insist on suing me, expect to get less money from it than your lawyer asks for.  
  
This episode will not need a key, so I will not include it here.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Kasumi ran like she couldn't remember ever having run before. She couldn't stop the major event, but there was one result... which she would avoid at all costs. The note was still clutched in her hand, and her favorite apron was getting dirty from her running through mud in the shortcuts. Her shoes had seen better days, and the hem of her yellow housedress was splattered with mud as well.  
  
But there was one thing which called any cost to her.  
  
Still at least two minutes more of running to get there, Kasumi ran.  
  
To paraphrase a wonderful German movie....  
  
Run, Kasumi, Run.  
  
******  
  
Ryoga glared at Ranma from across the field. "No games, Ranma. This is to determine who is better. This is a duel to incapability or forfeit. Understood?"  
  
Ranma nodded. "Yes." He stated solemnly, the word not so much spoken as materialized... the essence of the affirmative made solid.  
  
Then it began. Ryoga snapped open his umbrella, and sent it spinning like a top, narrowly missing his ponytailed adversary. He ignored it's return, not even catching it when it conveniently bounced up and folded, handle aimed for an easy spot to place his hand in. Instead, he began pulling bandannas from his forehead.  
  
One, two... four... eight...  
  
Ranma blinked. That was a lot of bandannas.  
  
Somehow, Ryoga took all ten bandannas in one hand and set them all whirling without tangling them in each other. Thrusting his hand forward, he sent them flying in a spray, all arcing around towards Ranma.  
  
The martial artist in red and black was far to experienced to just sit there and watch the bandannas. Something about them bugged him, though... He snagged one out of the air as he passed it on his way to Ryoga. A quick one-two punch combo was neatly dodged, and countered with a snap-kick.  
  
The faster boy bounced out of the way, orbiting his opponent while raining down swift punches. A few made it through, causing Ryoga to grunt, but he cleared them away with a set of forceful arm sweeps. Ranma suddenly shifted stances and tactics, leaping into the air, and diving at the Lost Boy with a flying kick.  
  
Ryoga caught the kick with his hands, and swung Ranma overhead into the ground.  
  
Hiroshi and Daisuke, at the head of the crowd of Furinkan students, winced. That couldn't have felt good.  
  
Ranma ignored the modest amount of pain, arching his back and kicking his foot over. His opponent was forced to release the limb or go flying, and Ryoga chose the former. Ranma rolled to his feet, eyeing the stockier boy with a modicum more respect.  
  
Hiroshi looked at Daisuke after another whirlwind of punches died down. "Did you see that?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, good. I thought I might be losing my eyesight. Guess not.*  
  
Neither combatant was even winded yet, but the initial pleasentries had been given and taken. It was time to get down to it.  
  
Ranma pulled a gymnastics club from his shirt, and flung it at Ryoga.  
  
The lost boy wasted a moment double-checking to see that it was, indeed, a Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics club he'd caught, and recieved a foot to the face for his trouble. Falling back, he made another attempt at Ranma's leg, but the other fighter sprang back quickly, and shifted stances again.  
  
Now Ryoga was starting to have serious trouble, as Ranma began a series of short hops in circles around him, no more than a foot or so off the ground, but each hop was punctuated by a fist or foot. Tiring of this, Ryoga yanked off his belt, and swung it in a wide circle around himself.  
  
Ranma bounced away and came to a stop, examining the cut on his forearm. So, this one knew how to make weapons of any clothing? It was time to finish pulling out the stops.  
  
"Look! A ten-yen coin!"  
  
Somehow, Genma materialized, and started searching the ground.  
  
Ryoga just glared at Ranma. "Pathetic. And to think..." The green aura manifested again. "..I was bested so many times by such a poor cheater!"  
  
Ranma backed off some. Ryoga's attack was unpredictable... and fast. He'd have to stay far enough away for now to dodge, and try out Kodora's suggestion.  
  
Now all he had to do was figure out what sort of focus he would use before Ryoga tagged him.  
  
******  
  
Akane paused, watching her elder sister continue to run. Panting, she looked, shocked, at the skyline near the school while she tried to catch her breath.  
  
Green lights?  
  
******  
  
Ranma dodged another chi blast. This was starting to wear at him, and the other boy looked like he could keep throwing the damned things all day. He muttered to himself each time he took the focusing pose, and each time, the power of the chi increased a tiny bit.  
  
Ranma could see that he needed to start fighting fire with fire.  
  
But what to use?  
  
His first try used his respect for his father.  
  
Needless to say, all that got was a confused expression from Ranma, and derisive laughter from Ryoga.  
  
"Ranma, you fool! Just mimicking me will do you no good! I do it like THIS! Shishi Hokodan!"  
  
"Oof!" Commented Ranma, taking another short ride. He rolled out of the way of the next blast, and tried his love of and dedication to the martial arts.  
  
He was rewarded with a gray blob the size of his head, which fizzled out in the face of Ryoga's beachball-sized blast. Ranma took another hit, and came up firing.  
  
"Short-temper blast!"  
  
Short was right- the spurt of energy was barely the size of a softball. Ranma practically slid to the left, and tried again.  
  
"Pretty Scenery Crusher!"  
  
Ryoga stopped and blinked. What?  
  
Ranma frowned at the little white blob that had produced.  
  
"Brotherly Love?"  
  
This time, Ranma produced a glowing pinkish ball almost as large as Ryoga's attacks.  
  
"Shishi Hokodan!"  
  
That, too, fell, though only just barely.  
  
Ranma resumed dodging, focusing on his aura. How did he usually bring out his chi? He idly noticed someone yelling at him, but was too preoccupied to notice.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi calmed Akane. "He's alright, at least for now. Get me the hose, please."  
  
Akane nodded, stopped trying to tell Ranma that Kasumi was here, and ran for the tool shed.  
  
******  
  
He usually focused on frustration at his old man... but without his father in the fight (Oyaji was still searching for the ten-yen coin), that wouldn't work.  
  
He'd tried his brotherly love for Kodora, and that had almost worked.  
  
What about joy? Naah. He'd never had much of that. Depression? He was only feeling particularly down when he was particularly near Ryoga...  
  
Anger? No, he wasn't particularly mad right now...  
  
"Honor Pounder!".  
  
Then again, Honor wasn't really a thing you could focus on like that...  
  
Ranma ducked another blast, this one as large as a horse.  
  
Ryoga's attacks were just getting stronger... There were already a few craters on the soccer field.  
  
It looked like he had no other alternative.  
  
He just hoped Kasumi had gotten here already. It was a risk he'd have to take.  
  
"WATER!" He shouted, and was rewarded by nearly being knocked over from the spray of hose-water.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi tensed. That would be the moment of truth on its way.  
  
******  
  
Kodora stopped, and took the oncoming Shishi Hokodan full in the face. She got back up.  
  
The girl was in horrible shape. Ranma had gotten hit by a few of the blasts, and come up none too much the worse for wear.  
  
She, however, looked like she'd gone a few rounds with a wrecking ball and lost. Badly. She was covered in bruises.  
  
Still, she got up, and started walking towards Ryoga. The next blast knocked her down again, but she got back up.  
  
She began to think about her original life.  
  
Ryoga jumped as a deep green-black aura sprang up around his opponent. She was also going to use the Shishi Hokodan? What did she have to be depressed about?  
  
The girl looked at Ryoga. "Shishi Hokodan." She stated, throat somewhat constricted. A round blast formed in front of her, and launched itself at Ryoga. He countered with his own, and the remainder of his blast went on to strike her.  
  
She got up again. And stared at him with crimson eyes gone near-black. "You're using depression as your focus, aren't you." It was not a question.  
  
Ryoga snorted. "Of course. My life is hell. Why shouldn't I be depressed? I get lost all the time. I can't go to school. I have not one, not two, but three curses on me. Two of them family curses. I had a guide dog, but I lost it. The last compass I bought exploded when I touched it. Noone understands me. I've never gotten anything in life." With each statement, his aura seemed to grow slightly.  
  
"Shishi Hokodan Perfect!" A column of chi consumed the two, leaving a crater. To everyone's amazement, neither one was moved by the blast. To Ryoga's amazement, Kodora stood still, apparently unaffected.  
  
Kodora laughed, bitterly. The sound was so hollow, Ryoga shuddered involuntarily. She stepped up to a foot away from Ryoga, and stared at him hollowly, speaking almost monotonally, with nearly no emphasis.  
  
"Ryoga, Ryoga, Ryoga. That's not depression. That's feeling kinda sorry for yourself. You want depression? Let me tell you about depression. Depression is how you feel... when you don't have any close friends, when you can't trust your own family with your personal life. When neither of your parents even TRIES to understand you. When you have to hide behind a shell. When you try to commit suicide at the age of eight, by attempting to drown in a public pool, only to have something say 'not now'. Living on that for TEN YEARS. Being the freak. Being the class nerd, clown, and the person everyone loves to hate, all at once, for twelve years. Having people treat you like a goddamned DICTIONARY or CALCULATOR, and then turning around and ignoring you when you say something important. Going to high school, promised a clean slate... to have your own FATHER turn on you and say that he is only going by your past performances. Learning that the person you used to hurt all the time, entirely by accident, is the only one who really wanted to be your friend. Being among the most intelligent people in the nation according to the goddamned tests, but never getting better than a B because you have a bad memory, worse study habits, and your parents hanging everything over your head. Finally getting another chance, only to find it blown by your appearance, which has somehow gotten even MORE abnormal than the plain old freak it already was. Another father, this one who abuses any trust given him, who is convinced that you are a force of evil. Being thrown away by people left and right because of how you look, and KNOWING that even if someone isn't stopped by that, then who you are will stop them. Depression is when the only reason you are still alive is because killing yourself would cause more pain to other people than living as a screw-up would. Let me show you depression."  
  
There was an audible WHUMP as a huge, nearly-black green aura settled over the entire school and several surrounding blocks. The emotion leaked, and every last person there gradually started feeling more and more disgust with themself.  
  
Kasumi shuddered, at the sidelines. It was worse than she possibly could have imagined.  
  
Kodora stared at Ryoga, a horribly unsettling, hollow stare, her irises now as black as her pupils.  
  
"Because..." Kodora whispered, "..Saotome Ranma doesn't lose, I give my all. Everything I can. The only person asking it is me.  
  
Shi..."  
  
The aura began to focus in on Kodora, letting the surrounding area slowly out of its influence.  
  
"Shi..."  
  
Several people crumpled, crying, glad to be free of the need to fling themselves off a cliff. The rest just stood, stunned at what had passed through their own heads.  
  
"...Hokodan..."  
  
Ryoga took a step back as the aura released him. Kodora was glowing. Glowing pure black. He ran for his life. He knew, somehow, that if he did not... he would die this day. He prayed his ability to get lost would kick in, preferably landing him on the other side of the world. Florida sounded good.  
  
"...Superior." The last word fell with a hollo echo, a sound much like a tombstone falling on its coffin.  
  
The black glow disappeared. Kodora pointed at Ryoga. Something almost solid gathered at her fingertip, then lanced out.  
  
Ryoga cried out in pain as the beam lanced through his shoulder. Another hit his leg, and a third his left forearm. He stumbled on, counting himself lucky that she hadn't hit a joint yet.  
  
A fourth beam found his ear, clipping the top off, and a fifth impaled the other thigh, matching the second.  
  
Then it stopped. Ryoga looked around an instant. He was still in Tokyo.  
  
That was far to close for him.  
  
Ryoga kept running.  
  
******  
  
Falling to her knees, Kodora looked at her hand with eyes gone black.  
  
She began to raise her finger to her head.  
  
Just one instant, and it would be over... Never again the pain... the horrible pain...  
  
It began flashing back.  
  
"Dont' be so egocentric. Other people get made fun of too."  
  
"Just ignore them. They'll go away on their own."  
  
"Hmph. Be strong. Just say 'I'm impervious', and you'll be alright."  
  
Boy were they wrong...  
  
"Nerd!"  
  
"Four eyes!"  
  
"Railroad Tracks!"  
  
"Would you do this page of homework for me? I'll give you five bucks..."  
  
No... NO. It was wrong... It always had been, and the answer was always No....  
  
"You'll never get anywhere."  
  
"I'm a blackbelt..."  
  
"If he's so good, why can't he ever beat you in a fight?"  
  
The rage... she had always turned to that... it was so easy...  
  
"You can do better than this."  
  
"All you need is a good place to do the homework..."  
  
"I'll watch to make sure you do it..."  
  
"No, you can't have them back until you get a good grade."  
  
"I said, no more video games."  
  
The other releases... were all taken from her... what else did she have?  
  
What else could she have?  
  
"No, you can't be in the play. Not unless you can prove you don't need the time for homework."  
  
"You're so smart! What happened?"  
  
What had happened?  
  
"Just stop being lazy!"  
  
"You know that's what's wrong. Why haven't you fixed it yet?"  
  
Idiot father... nothing was ever that simple...  
  
"I thought you were my friend... why did you hit me?"  
  
"The teacher got a split lip..."  
  
I'm sorry... so sorry...  
  
"They got it wrong, you know..."  
  
That was herself. She was speaking. She remembered it all too well. Unconsciously, she said the words aloud even as she remembered them.  
  
"...Sticks and stones break ONLY bones..."  
  
That can heal... too easily...  
  
"...But words..... Words can shatter your soul."  
  
And since when can you put a splint on that?  
  
"I know all too well why someone who seems so... happy... so perfect... can turn around and kill themselves."  
  
That was herself again...  
  
"I wish I didn't. I sincerely wish I didn't. Such a horrible understanding... I don't even know why I stopped, that time when I was eight...."  
  
She never had, and maybe never would know.  
  
"..something told me it was not the right time. Something with weight, with authority. Even as I obey that voice to this day... Even as I refuse to allow the world to force me into this, as I always have refused to be forced into anything..."  
  
And she still did...  
  
"Even as I do... oftentimes, I curse whatever it was. For not letting me go to peace."  
  
But something had to break sometime. It always did, eventually. She had always resolved it wouldn't be herself. Hiding behind the mask, the callous...  
  
Her mask had cracked, that day... three weeks ago? Four? It seemed like eternity...  
  
But now... now it had shattered.  
  
And the pieces of herself were exposed, and starting to die...  
  
She raised the finger to her head...  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
I know. Some of you are screaming 'stereotypical SI character, has the fault of not believing in herself. Happens too much.'  
  
Others are saying 'Look! Angst! Let's flame it!'  
  
Curse you and your blindness.  
  
Remember... This is an SI. That is me.  
  
That is how I really feel.  
  
Only... my mask is mostly intact. It has chipped some... sometimes the rage, the depression show through... but, I persevere.  
  
I may not have a specific reason...  
  
But I stick around because there is always the desperate hope that I can do someone some serious good.  
  
Don't worry... I'm not going to go kill myself now or anything.  
  
Goddamned voice forbid it... So I'll wait for its return. I'll probably be waiting until I die of old age.  
  
Until then, I'm out here, searching for a purpose to my so-called life.  
  
Next chapter... whenever. I'm never too sure about this.  
  
See you next time, and remember...  
  
Sticks and stones break only bones  
  
And those heal right away.  
  
Words can shatter someone's soul  
  
So take care in what you say.  
  
"Maybe I am being dramatic. But at least I'm honest at the same time."  
  
-Me. 


	23. Book Three, Chapter 6: A Family to Love,...

Kasumi watched, shocked, as Kodora bombarded Ryoga with pitch-black beams of chi, burning holes in both his legs and his arm. Once Ryoga was out of sight, the smaller girl fell to her knees and looked at her hand, finger still pointed. Kasumi heard her begin muttering to herself, and carefully approached. She didn't think Kodora would turn on her, but she wasn't taking any chances.  
  
As she approached, she began to make out the words.  
  
Sticks and stones break only bones...  
  
Kodora was speaking in English?  
  
But words can shatter the soul...  
  
Kasumi paled slightly as she saw Kodora begin bringing her finger up to her own head. As Kodora continued to mutter in English, Kasumi moved in from behind. The small girl stopped talking, the finger at her temple, and drew a deep, shuddering breath....  
  
And Kasumi tackled her from behind, pulling the hand away.  
  
******  
  
Ranma continued to try to get through to the other inhabitant of the body.  
  
*Kodora! KODORA!!!! STOP!!!*  
  
He felt her speaking, and knew what the words meant. She had told him all about it, about her past life. He had hoped that she would be able to retain her control over her feelings while she used them as a focus for her chi.  
  
Struggle as he might, though, he still could not control the body when it was hers.  
  
So he resumed screaming, even as she stopped speaking.  
  
*KODORA, DAMMIT! STOP NOW!!!!!*  
  
Then he felt them get tackled from behind.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 21: A Family to Love, and to be Loved By.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.  
  
Disclaimer: The canon Ranma 1/2 characters do not belong to me, but Kodora and a select few others appearing in this fanfiction do. Don't try sueing me, it really isn't worth the time.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Kasumi was prepared to wrestle with a furious storm of hands and feet.  
  
What she got was a wet noodle.  
  
Even as she knocked Kodora over with her lunge at the depressed girl's hand, the chi beam fired off. However, with neither Kodora's hand nor head in the area, all that happened was a lance of spatial black, half a foot in radius, speared out into the sky, seemingly unrelated to Kodora other than by proximity. And incidentally sheared off an antenna from the top of Tokyo Tower.  
  
The girl didn't resist in the least as Kasumi pinned both her arms to her sides, holding her in a bear-hug. Kodora struggled weakly, but nowhere near enough to fend off her desperate older sister. She soon stopped struggling, and just cried silently, tears flowing from the corners of pitch-black eyes. Close examination would show a rim of deep red around her pupils, separating them from the blackness, but of such a hue as to be nearly indistinguishable.  
  
"You said it was up to me." Kasumi said, still keeping a hold on the girl. "I say you're staying, Imootochan. I know you don't really want to die."  
  
"How.... How do YOU know?" Kodora forced out. "Have YOU lived my life?"  
  
"You sent me the note. You said it was up to me." Repeated Kasumi. "You knew I would not let you do this to yourself."  
  
"So it's all for my sake, is it?" The girl spat, but the red gained some ground towards the edges of her eyes. "That makes me feel so much better, really." The tone was obviously intended to be acid, but half-hearted, lacking bite.  
  
"No, Kodora... It's not all for your sake. It's for all of us." Unseen to Kasumi, the red color slowly gained more ground. "You brought Daddy back. Just by being you, you helped him to gain some control over his sorrow... You helped Ranma catch up to where he should be in school. Even Akane... you're trying to show her a different way to do things, but one that she can still say is hers."  
  
Kodora shook her head. "But.. but Akane hates me!" She exclaimed. The black clouded back in some. "And she's afraid of me! Everyone is! I... I beat up Tatewaki! They've always been afraid!"  
  
"You... you don't scare me, Kodora." Now Akane was speaking. "Yes, you look... unusual. And that makes me uneasy, because I'm not sure what to do about it... But I'm not afraid of you. Maybe I was a little at first, but it passed."  
  
Kasumi rejoined. "And Tatewaki-san... Akane beats him up all the time. Everyone's not afraid of her, are they?"  
  
The red continued to struggle with the black, having gained ground again.  
  
"No... but... but she's not me! People have always been afraid of me! Before... before they thought I was going to... to 'go Columbine', they called it... Now they're gonna be afraid I'll kill them with wierd beams!"  
  
Tatewaki moved to comfort the Feral Kami, but found several of Nabiki's associates in the way. Each time he tried to walk around them, they would try moving that direction to get a better view.  
  
Kasumi kept talking. "Kodora, people are always afraid to a degree, of things they don't understand. Explain to them, promise you won't hurt them, and they'll believe you. They won't be afraid of you if you're up front about it."  
  
"But..." The black was losing rapidly now, and both irises were almost complete. "But I'm unreliable and lazy and all I've ever done right was to hurt people...."  
  
"You know that's not true. I already said you helped Daddy. And you sure don't seem lazy to me. A little forgetful, maybe, and you need to work on your self-control a little... but you aren't lazy. You aren't unreliable either. Every morning, you get up to help me with breakfast, and the morning chores."  
  
The irises were complete, and the black was slowly fading from the whites of Kodora's eyes. "But... but noone loves me..."  
  
Kasumi almost snorted. "You're kidding, right? I love you. You're my little sister. So do Akane and Nabiki. And Father... He maybe even loves you more than any of us. He offered to adopt you. You're family to us, and we love you, no matter what."  
  
The black disappeared entirely. Kodora collapsed into sobs, curling up.  
  
Kasumi cradled the small girl in her arms, Kodora's head resting on her shoulder as her youngest sister cried away the depression.  
  
Nabiki and Akane stepped up to the two, and waited silently.  
  
It began to rain lightly, and most of the crowd slowly dissipated, many wondering what had happened, why they had felt so.... unhappy with themselves... when that small girl with the fangs, tail, and strange hair had fought.  
  
Other than the four sisters, only a few stayed. One or two of Nabiki's closer 'associates', Yuka and Sayuri, Noriko and Yumi, and, oddly enough, Hiroshi and Daisuke. Also, a panda sat on the edge of the soccer field, looking thoughtful.  
  
Kuno came back from the school in the drizzle, bearing an umbrella for Kasumi and Kodora. He handed it to them, then stood back, further away than Akane and Nabiki, just out of speaking range.  
  
Eventually, Souun showed up, wondering what had kept his daughters. Nabiki stepped aside to fill him in, although she had to catch his arm and pull him back from running to Kodora a couple of times before she finished.  
  
Finally, Kodora stopped crying. She sniffled moistly, and spoke to Kasumi.  
  
"Know... know what, Kasumi-oneechan?"  
  
Kasumi shifted slightly, bringing her youngest sister's face into view. "No, what, Imootochan?"  
  
The small girl gave her a squeeze. "I love all of you too..."  
  
Kasumi smiled, a little different from the one she usually wore.  
  
"I know, Imootochan. I know."  
  
Kodora's grip slackened, and she drifted to sleep, emotionally worn out.  
  
Kasumi stood carefully, to avoid slipping on the rain-wet grass, still cradling Kodora, as the smaller girl was remarkably easy to carry.  
  
Besides, Kasumi had gotten lots of practice when she and her sisters were younger.  
  
A short conversation, and the Tendoo clan, with one Saotome hanger-on, converged and departed for the Tendoo-ke, Akane holding the umbrella over Kasumi and Kodora.  
  
The rest talked a bit more for a while, then departed with a group nod.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi stepped out of her shoes, and Akane helped her to remove Kodora's. Wearily, Kasumi carted Kodora up to their shared bedroom.  
  
It had been a long walk. Along the way from the school, Kasumi had explained, in that calm, quiet, Kasumi way, everything that Ranma and Kodora had told her about the girl asleep in her arms. There were several spots where the entourage had to halt while Akane and Souun stopped the panda from trying to beat answers out of the zonked-out girl, and even one where the role had been reversed, Akane and the panda keeping Souun away.  
  
Kasumi and Kodora were collectively asleep on Kasumi's feet. One of them literally, the other as good as.  
  
The remaining Tendoos, and one damp panda, sat around the table in the family room, thinking.  
  
Finally, Nabiki spoke up.  
  
"Imootochan's a great actor, isn't she?" She commented, with a hint of her usual wryness. "Even had me and Kasumi fooled into believing that everything was alright with her."  
  
Souun massaged his forehead. "I'm not sure if this makes things easier or harder."  
  
Akane blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well.." began Souun, "Does this mean that whoever Ranma chooses will have to love two people, both him and Kodora? And what about school and the public baths? With both a boy and a girl there, which side is the right side? And which PE class? But on the other hand, it also means that Ranma and Kodora both understand the other sex better, which should help Ranma in forming relationships with one or another of you three. Yet, does Kodora still count as being Ranma? Wouldn't that preclude Ranma marrying one of you three, since you are effectively his sisters? And what about the duel with Ryoga? Did Ranma win that or not? And training.. Who, exactly, am I training? Does what one learns carry over to the other? If so, why doesn't Kodora know martial arts yet?"  
  
Genma-panda blinked. [wha?]  
  
Nabiki chuckled. "I agree with Ojisan over there... Which question are you looking for an answer to?"  
  
Souun sighed. "Well, most of the others will probably solve themselves... But I'm really wondering about the engagement right now. Why didn't I think of that when I adopted Kodora? I mean, are you also Ranma's sisters?"  
  
Akane just sat there, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of marrying her own... (shudder).. brother. But it was Ranma. But Ranma was Kodora, and Kodora was her sister... So was it alright?  
  
Nabiki's face straightened. "Legally, or really?"  
  
Souun blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well," drawled Nabiki, "Legally speaking, Saotome Ranma and Tendoo Kodora are completely unrelated. Furthermore, unless something REALLY wierd happened at Jusenkyoo, neither of them has Tendoo genes, so according to the government, there's no problem at all." She shifted where she was kneeling. "Really, it's a bit more complicated than that. I suppose it all depends on two things: whether one of us grows to see Ranma as a potential husband more than a brother, and how they feel about also spending their whole life with Kodora as well."  
  
Souun nodded. "I see."  
  
"To answer your second question, Daddy, it's because you're such a nice person you rushed into adopting her, and didn't think about the consequences too much. That happens when you think with your emotions. I kinda... failed to notice that problem, too." Nabiki finished, looking a little embarrassed. "I.. ah.. I'm going to go phone-order dinner..." And with that, she got up and walked out of the room, just slowly enough not to be running.  
  
Akane caught up with what Nabiki had said.  
  
"Wait," She stated aloud. "Did Nabiki just openly admit to having emotions without someone forcing her into it?"  
  
Souun nodded again. "I think so. It seems Kodora-chan is good for all of us. Excuse me, I've got something to go do..."  
  
And with that, he disappeared into the hall.  
  
Akane stood up as well. "May as well get started on my homework. Maybe it'll help me think about this." And she, too disappeared into the hall.  
  
The lonely, damp panda sat there and held up a sign.  
  
[Why don't I get to say anything about this?]  
  
******  
  
Genma sat at the shogi board, still a panda.  
  
Souun wasn't sitting across from him, as he usually did after dinner. The Tendoo patriarch was in his room, doing something that only he knew what it was.  
  
Genma was thinking again. He found, that with the practice he'd been getting recently, it was somewhat easier.  
  
He was still getting a headache, but at least he was actually thinking with a headache, rather than just getting a headache.  
  
Noone had asked his opinion on anything.  
  
But that was his child...  
  
..wasn't it?  
  
Yes, he'd effectively given up all responsibility for Kodora, but what about Ranma? They were talking about the boy too, so why had noone asked him?  
  
Maybe because they saw the two as the same person in some ways?  
  
Could that explain why Ranma wasn't respecting him the least bit anymore?  
  
Genma had thought that was because Ranma believed he didn't have anything more to teach his son. After all, if Happosai ever seemed to run out of things to teach Genma...  
  
Lets just say that the world might not find it neccessary to look for a new little old pervert, but it would be short one anyways.  
  
If it wasn't already. He new the little freak was tenacious... Maybe he and Tendoo should have found something more... explosive... to dump in his lap, so to speak?  
  
Wait... why was he thinking about Hap- the master- anyways? He'd started out on something important... right?  
  
Genma-panda scratched his head.  
  
He shrugged. If it was important, he'd have remembered it. He got up, and lumbered off to his room to catch some shuteye.  
  
******  
  
Kodora woke up. Turning on the futon, which she had pretty much forced Kasumi out of a couple days after her injuries had healed, she looked at the clock.  
  
3:40 in the morning.  
  
Wide awake.  
  
Distinctly happier than yesterday, but still wide awake, and none to pleased with it.  
  
She sat up. She sure as hell wasn't going to get any more sleep now, one she was awake that was it. No going back to sleep or anything. What could she do, though? It was too early to even watch the sunrise...  
  
An idea struck.  
  
Amidst dealing with her personal ghosts yesterday, she had lost track of one important thing.  
  
She knew how to use chi now. She could feel her own chi if she focused on it, buzzing about just below the surface. At the moment it had a distinctly floaty feel to it.  
  
Carefully, she got up and made her way to the door. It was time to use the dojo.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Shortest chapter yet.  
  
Okay, I know I kinda took the lighthearted mainstream and basically threw it off a cliff for the last chapter or two, but...  
  
Well, life has its ups and downs. That was one helluva down. Now it's going to go up again in this fic.  
  
I said, waaaaay back near the beginning, in one of these notes, that this fic would run across all of the types, and that's another one down, but not forever. There will probably be more angsty moments in this at points, but they'll probably be a bit... smaller, and less dark.  
  
Oh, and whoever-you-are, who complained about Kodora not being Ranma and that fouling up the 'Ranma Saotome Doesn't Lose' thing, I know. Pay a bit more attention, though. I didn't really foul it up. Ranma didn't win. But he didn't lose, either. He stepped out of the fight, and Ryoga ran away, so officially, there is no winner. Noone forefeited formally or totally lost capability to fight, so there was no end. Yet.  
  
Don't worry, I'm going to work on that.  
  
As for the Kodachi match... I'm not sure who's going to wind up in that one.  
  
I'll just have to see.  
  
Oh, and something I probably should have said long ago.  
  
All you people out there who are rooting for one fiancee or another, go ahead and keep on rooting.  
  
I, personally, have no real lean in that matter. Ranma may wind up with Akane, or he may not. He may wind up with one of the other 'official' fiances, or he may wind up with one of the people he doesn't get engaged to in the manga/anime.  
  
And I really don't think getting someone else cursed to match Ranma and Kodora is a good idea, so I'm not going to do that. Sorry.  
  
Also, my apologies to Akane-fans out there. I do not intend to Akane-bash, and if something goes wrong for her when I write it, it is for one of three reasons:  
  
1) It just makes sense she'd get it wrong  
  
2) It's funny, which is a reason for ANYONE to get something wrong  
  
3) It's a learning experience for her.  
  
I'm also not sure I'll close up the whole fiancees thing before I finish the fic, anyways, though that day is a long, loooong ways off.  
  
Remember, keep your comments constructive, and your heads clear.  
  
Jaa, ne!  
  
"It seems to me that maybe  
  
pretty much always means no.  
  
I don't suppose  
  
you might just let it go.  
  
And oftentimes we're lazy-  
  
it seems to stand in my way,  
  
'coz noone, no,  
  
not noone, likes to be let down."  
  
-Chorus from "Flake", by Jack Johnson 


	24. Book Three, Interlude: A Dissertation on...

Tsukino Usagi and Tendoo Kasumi sit at desks, fundraiser style, with the casts of BSSM, Ranma 1/2, and DBZ running around answering phones behind them.  
  
Usagi: And now, brought to you by the FFTROUAS, the Fund For The Relief Of Underpaid Anime Stars, we return you to "A dissertation on ki, chi, and magic".  
  
Kasumi: Please enjoy it, and remember: all these people have had extensive training in the use of these power sources, and you shouldn't even consider trying to actually use them unless your own training has been somewhat comparable.  
  
******  
  
Kodora stand behind a specially built short podium. She is in the middle of a huge plateau, facing a large audience, composed generally of anime characters. Behind her and off to her right are a set of chairs, in which sit, in order from left to right, Saotome Ranma, Son Goku, Shorun Li, Urd, Happosai, and Inverse Lina.  
  
Kodora: First, we will have demonstration on the generation, use, and general properties of chi. Ranma, Goku, and Happi, please step forward.  
  
The three named characters get up and step forward a ways.  
  
Kodora: To begin, Saotome Ranma will demonstrate and explain basic use of chi. Ranma?  
  
Ranma: Uh, thanks, Kodora-chan. Okay, I guess I oughta explain how ta access yer chi first. To begin with, chi is your willpower, your mental direction, if you will. Th' most basic use of chi is t' do things like breakin' bricks or tiles or whatever. 'S a really simple way ta use it, but it's also pretty effective, an' easy to do. In some ways, it comes instinctively. There are a lotta ways ta learn ta use chi consciously. One of th' more famous is the Touched Soul technique, but I won't go inta that one: it usually has pretty bad effects on whoever learns from it.  
  
Genma, in the audience: There's nothing wrong with that technique! Without it, I wouldn't be the master martial artist I am today!  
  
Ranma throws a ten-yen coin over the edge of the plateau, and the whole assembly watches Genma dive off after it in a display of horrible greed. Even as he disappears from sight, he can be heard.  
  
Genma: Haha! MY ten yen! Thanks a lot, suc- er, son!.... Where'd the ground go?  
  
There is a collective sweatdropping.  
  
Ranma: Right. Th' main thing ta remember about chi is that it constantly flows around yer body, in kind of a non-solid bloodstream of energy. When ya use chi for something, it flows more ta the area yer using it in. The more ya do that, the easier it is ta make the chi flow ta there. Also, th' stronger yer will, the more chi ya have. For usin' it in the body, ya only need to make yer chi flows better to do things like the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken, or like Honda Edmund's 'Hundred Hand Slap'. This also works fer healin' yerself. When ya use chi ta affect somethin' outside of yerself, or when you project it from yer body, ya need somethin' ta focus on. The more meaningful the focus is ta you, or the more ya come in contact with it, the more of yer chi ya have access to. For instance...  
  
Ranma takes up a somewhat silly stance, feet apart, bow-legged, chest up, with his arms akimbo.  
  
Ranma (throwing his hands forward in classic chi-throwing form): Moko Takabisha!  
  
A golden ball of chi/air mixture flies out from his hands, and eventually its own lightness overpowers its momentum, causing it to float up and away into the distance, even as the chi holding it begins to dissipate.  
  
Ranma: The Moko Takabisha works on confidence. That's why th' yellow-gold color. Each emotion or focus causes a diff'rent color to the chi. Some have the same colors as each other. Anywho, the actual focus can affect th' way the chi acts. Th' Moko Takabisha has a tendency t' float once it's momentum runs out, 'coz self-confidence is a 'light' emotion. Ryoga's Shishi Hokodan uses depression, which is a 'heavy' emotion, so when it runs outta momentum, it drops like a rock. With focus, you c'n learn ta do things like this- Moko Takabisha!  
  
This time, when the ball of chi/air reaches a few feet away from Ranma, he moves his hand, and it turns right. Another gesture and it flies straight up, and a third causes it to return to his hand before dissipating.  
  
Ranma: You c'n do this because yer chi is your willpower. Focus on it movin' in a particular direction, an' you c'n make it do all sortsa tricks. Th' Moko Takabisha is one a' th' simpler things ta do with chi. With enough chi, and the right concentration, you c'n make it do almost anything- form cubes, weapons, or strange shapes, flow like water, lift things up an' move 'em around, cut stuff- just about anything. Once you reach yer limit, however... that's it. You c'n really wear yourself out using chi. As fer focuses, those make it a helluva lot easier ta call on yer chi. Without a focus, using sheer willpower, you can do it, but it'll wear ya out really quick, and ya won't have as much to work with. It's kinda like putting water in yer wine or beer or alcoholic liquid of choice. It makes more of it, and you can drink more before ya get drunk, but it just doesn't pack th' same punch. It also uses a lot more stuff to put together.  
  
Kodora: Great. Thanks Ranma. Don't sit down yet, though. Just step back a little, so Goku-san can do his thing.  
  
Ranma nods and steps back, and Goku steps up.  
  
Goku: What do I talk about, Kodora-chan?  
  
Kodora: You talk about how you use chi, and also about ki. Like in your Genki Dama, or Spirit Bomb.  
  
Goku nods enthusiastically.  
  
Goku: Well, Ranma pretty much explained chi for the most part. Although we on the Z-fighters, and the Saiyans, use chi a little differently. For instance, we usually don't use an emotion as a focus. Unless we've got a LOT of that emotion, and we're talking buttloads. Such as with the Saibamen, when Kuillin pulled off that really heavy multidirectional chi attack. Sure, it's harder at first with pure chi, but if you go without the shortcut long enough, you can really boost your production. Also, he left out about hiding and sensing chi. It's pretty simple, really. There are four ways to deal with hiding chi. The first is pretty straightforward: with enough experience, you can restrict or open up the chi flows in your own body. This changes how much chi you seem to have by affecting the way it flows. The second is also pretty straightforward, but almost noone uses it. If you develop your chi flows right, you can spread them over the area near you, reducing their power by increasing the area. This way, instead of opening your chi flows back up, when you need chi, you pull the flows back in towards yourself. This has a wierd side effect on Scouters, since while you're powering up, it reads like a lot of smaller powers combining into a bigger one. By the by, powering up too fast can overload a scouter easily. For instance...  
  
Goku suddenly boosts up to Super Saiyajin Level Two, and a series of explosions are heard in the back right of the audience.  
  
Guldo: My eyes! My eyes! Someone get tweezers before these plastic chips dig holes!  
  
Tienshinhan (at the other end of the audience): I swear, for an elite fighting force, those guys sure are doofs.  
  
Goku powers back down.  
  
Goku: That brings us to the third method: transforming up. This is mostly used by Saiyajin, although some other races can do it. Since the basic form can't handle the chi flows you develop, it physically changes, adapting to the greater chi flow. The disadvantage to this is that the transformation actually uses up some of your chi itself when it happens, so you actually need to bring each form to a level of chi beyond what it can safely hold before you can transform up a stage and remain that way for any length of time. Also, when you use enough chi to bring your chi flows below the amount that makes you need that form, your body automatically reverts. Changing enough times will make that easier, and make the change take up less chi, as your body becomes used to the change. In some ways, it's like doing an exercise, such as an arm curl. The more times you lift the weight, the easier it gets. Also like an arm curl, at first it seems that remaining in the 'powered up' form doesn't use any chi, but the longer you remain in that form, the larger the drain grows, exponentially. That's why, even when a Saiyajin spends time powered up to make the transformation easier, they will often power back down at night, giving their chi a bit of a rest. This also enhances your chi flows as well, just like doing chi exercises. So far, only a few races have demonstrated the ability to transform like this, but that doesn't mean that other races that haven't yet, like humans, cannot do it.  
  
Vegeta (standing up): How dare you imply that pitiful humans can match our power, Kakarot! Saiyajin are millenia beyond those wimps!  
  
Bulma (also standing up, but facing Vegita): That's enough! One more word out of you!  
  
Vegeta grumbles, and sits down again, followed by Bulma, who shoots Goku an apologetic look.  
  
Goku: It's alright, Bulma. Where was I? Oh, yeah! The fourth way is often demonstrated by people whom the Z-fighters have fought against in the past. Freiza and Cell come to mind right away, Freiza in particular. Freiza's method involves transforming into a weaker state. Sounds odd, ne? Here's how it works: Let's use Freiza as an example. At some point, while Freiza was training or fighting, his chi hit a point where, since he couldn't control his flows like many people learn to to hide their chi or to reduce it's effect on their body and environment, he accidentally caused damage while just walking around and going through everyday life. This was, obviously, horribly inconvenient. So, how could he fix this? He wasn't able to control his chi flows, and hadn't met anybody who could, so that never even occured to him. Instead, he tried to force down his outward expression of his chi, without changing his chi flows. The result was that he used some chi to change his body so that its chi flows were restricted, resulting in a different outward appearance as well. Eventually, he had to return to his original form, and lo and behold! His original form had increased its power just as his new one had! After this happy discovery, he eventually had to develop a second less powerful form, and then a third. Incidentally, it's likely anyone could do this, although it hasn't been done much. To be honest, noone knows if there's a limit to how far someone could 'transform down'. If Freiza were to keep transforming down to an ultimately weak state, and then train that form into a high state of physical and chi fitness, his power in his highest form could be expanded to an incredible level, even for the people in DBZ.  
  
Freiza, in the audience, sneezes, and continues his notes, Cell copying notes over the shoulder of the tiny tyrant.  
  
Goku: As to sensing chi.. this is a little different. You see, the chi flows leak. It's just like how, in your body, heat is always escaping. There is always a little of your chi flowing off of you. Among other things, this chi slowly seeps into the objects in your surroundings, meaning that a particularly old building may have wound up storing chi from hundreds of thousands, even millions, of different people. Also, places where people have lived a long time will gradually absorb this 'shed chi'. A home, or a well-used building, can develop chi flows of its own, based on the daily movement of people about it. The way a chi sense works is that you use your chi to absorb and feel the radiations of chi from other people and animals with chi signatures. Each person's chi has a unique identifier, which fades with distance. After a few miles, the chi sense fades to a general static. Particularly strong chi signatures will retain their individuality, though they may lose a lot of their identifier. This means that you can detect range and power of a chi signature. Scouters work on the same principle, although there are a number of things that make them unreliable. First off, a scouter isn't part of you, meaning you can forget or lose it. Also, being mechanical things, they are prone to breakdown and being destroyed. Furthermore, if someone powers up too fast, the extremely delicate sensors will overload, causing the scouter to blow up from the inside. On the whole, a chi sense is far preferable to a scouter. Humans have an innate, somewhat underdeveloped chi sense, which is reffered to by many names, including "the willies", and "gut instinct".  
  
Kodora clears her throat, and glances at Goku, who catches the look.  
  
Goku: Right. Enough about that, I pretty much covered it all, anyways. On to Ki. Ki is a little more difficult to explain than chi, but at the same time, easier to find. Ki use works similar to that of chi. However, Ki is even more powerful than uninfluenced chi. Ranma?  
  
Ranma: HA!  
  
Ranma projects a small ball of coruscating multicolored chi, which flies up in the air.  
  
Goku: Now a ki-bolt, Ranma?  
  
Ranma focuses, sweating a little, then throws out a shimmering-silver ball of ki, which is the same size as the chi-ball. The ki easily burns through the chi, before continuing on into the sky, where it explodes violently.  
  
Goku: Notice that both of those bolts used the same volume of energy. The ki, however, packs a considerable bit more punch. Why is this? Noone is quite sure. Another interesting thing is that, while only living things have chi, and only things with a mind have any significant amount of it, everything has ki. Rocks, air, metal, suns, moons, anything that is actually made of matter has ki. This means that, if you can draw on the ki of things around you, you can generate massive quantities of it. That is why, if you reach out far enough with a ki attack like the Genki Dama, you can easily produce enough to make really big holes in planets, like happened on Namek. Ki is also a little harder to control than chi, but like with emotion-controlled chi and pure chi, it has more power. Other than that, Ki acts a lot like chi. These few differences, however, can cause major variations on one's ability, using ki or chi.  
  
Kodora: Thank you very much, Goku-san. Happosai, anything to add?  
  
Happosai: Well, these two got all the basics and some of the more interesting specifics. There are a few details they missed, but those only interest specialists, who use a single type or variation of chi or ki. It is worth noting that certain people, such as the famous Ryu and Ken who fought against Shadaloo, have somehow managed to learn to use ki externally without using chi externally first. How this was managed is beyond even me to explain, and I doubt those two know either.  
  
Kodora nods.  
  
Kodora: You may take a seat now, Ranma, Goku. Happosai, please stay up, while Li, Urd, and Lina join you, to explain about magic.  
  
Happosai, leering at Urd: You can count on it.  
  
Urd: Urd Thunderbolt!  
  
Lina: Flare Arrow!  
  
Li: Thunder!  
  
All three attacks miss as Happi dodges.  
  
Sailor Jupiter, from the audience: Jupiter Thunder Dragon!  
  
This one connects, and Happi is sent flying, spasming from several thousand volts of electricity. He rolls to a stop, smoking, and unconscious.  
  
Kodora: On second thought, take a breather.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi and Usagi are back on screen  
  
Kasumi: We're really disappointed in you all. Only one donation so far. Come on, call in and support underpaid Anime actors!  
  
Usagi, tearing up: Yeah! We need food, too!  
  
Rei, from offscreen: You already ate lunch, and half of mine too! How much do you think you need, odango-atama??  
  
Usagi, now crying and whining: Whaaa! Rei, you're mean!!!  
  
Kasumi sweatdrops.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Wow. I think I wore my fingers out on that one.  
  
If you didn't think I should continue this... I don't mean to sound mean, but too bad. I think this needs explanation, since a lot of people fail to agree with me, and indeed, with anyone other than themselves, on a lot of these points. There are so many views of these things, it's easy to lose track of which system which fic is using.  
  
Notable fics that influenced the way I see this stuff include:  
  
A Different Approach  
  
Deification  
  
The Human Saiyajin  
  
and, of course,  
  
Destiny's Child  
  
Sorry, but I forgot the names of the authors. I'm like that- horrible with names. Just horrible. Ah, well. The next chapter of Passenger whenever I manage it. Till then.  
  
Jaa ne!  
  
******  
  
STARE AT COLOGNE  
  
Cologne is a withered old troll with long white hair who hops around on a  
  
stick and manipulates people.  
  
Cologne whaps parser.  
  
Oww.  
  
-Excerpt, "ShampooQuest" 


	25. Book Three, Chapter 7: A Revoltin' Devel...

Kasumi sat up in bed as the door to her room closed. She had watched from mostly-closed eyes as Kodora got up and headed out of the room.  
  
Kasumi was worried. After what had happened yesterday...  
  
She wasn't sure that her imootochan was alright yet.  
  
So, Kasumi got up and followed Kodora from a distance, tracking her through the chi-flows of the Tendoo-ke. Eventually, she caught up to her youngest/oldest (depending on how you look at it) sister, and peeked into the dojo to see her sitting indian-style, legs folded, her hands resting on the ground.  
  
She seemed to be meditating.  
  
Suddenly, Kasumi felt it. She couldn't see it anymore, she was out of practice, but she could faintly feel the disturbance in the Tendoo-ke's chi as Kodora activated her aura, opening her chi flows totally.  
  
The aura was large, but very diffuse. Oddly, it was stronger around Kodora's right arm and left leg, but nearly nonexistant around her tail.  
  
She heard Kodora mumble something, and the chi flows began to shift.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 22: A Revoltin' Development  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to anyone who likes both Shojo and Shonen anime and manga. You know who you are.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
* * = Internal conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Kodora focused entirely on her chi. She felt it swell thinly out around her as she opened the flows fully. She noticed immediately the stronger and weaker areas of her chi, and frowned slightly, her tail lashing slowly.  
  
That would have to be fixed.  
  
"Where I healed before?" She mumbled to herself. "Why not? That's where I was focusing on when I meditated... makes sense."  
  
She still wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but she had the theory of how this should work, so if she did this slowly and carefully...  
  
She reduced the chi flows to the stronger areas slowly and carefully, in semi-jerks of chi-contraction. Eventually, she overstepped where she was headed, and had to increase the flow again a tiny bit at a time. Once she had that balanced out, she stopped and remained that way for a few minutes, until she was sure she could keep that part under control. Then she turned her attention to her tail.  
  
There was only a single thin trickle of chi flowing along its length, right down the middle of her fifth appendage. She idly wondered if that had something to do with her usual inability to control it without focusing on it, then nearly discarded that as a moot point.  
  
Stopping her train of thought, she backed up some, and turned onto the alternate track. If that was so... then increasing the chi flow to and around her tail might allow her better control over it, and let her save her concentration for what she was doing otherwise. She began to feed more chi into the flow down her tail, to encourage it to branch into the area around her tail-  
  
And cut short, gasping, letting her chi flows subsume themselves suddenly.  
  
That had hurt. A lot.  
  
She frowned. There had to be a way to increase the chi flows to that part of her body- there was no reason for that particular response she could think of, but she was smart enough not to just try forcing chi into her tail.  
  
Putting that thought aside to work on later, she brought her aura back up- it wasn't serious enough to call a battle-aura right now- and resumed the control of her flows. She then forced the extra chi that she had blocked from her arm and leg into the other pathways, slowly and carefully, except for the one in her tail.  
  
She silently rejoiced when she felt a soft tingle, and the chi flowed easily into place. Opening the flows to her right arm and left leg again, the small martial artist kept her sense wide, monitoring all of her own chi flows. She remained that way for almost twenty minutes, to ensure the continued flow of chi at that level.  
  
Kasumi was getting bored. Her left leg was beginning to go numb, and all Kodora was doing was sitting there, playing with her chi. Kasumi yawned inadvertently.  
  
Kodora turned her head, releasing her grip on her chi, and noting that the flow remained constant, although the parts of her with newly-expanded chi paths were beginning to ache dully.  
  
There was noone in sight.  
  
"Who's there?" Asked Kodora, out loud. "Oneechan, is that you?"  
  
Sighing, Kasumi stood out of her crouch, and stepped into the doorway.  
  
"Hai... Gomen nasai, Imootochan..."  
  
Kodora smiled slightly, one of her fangs peeking out of her mouth. "Don't worry about it. I was starting to get bored anyways. Come over here and sit down."  
  
Kasumi stepped over, limping slightly at the pins-and-needles sensation in her left leg, and sat a foot away from her smallest sister, facing her, also with her legs crossed indian-style. Kodora scooted back, unfolded her legs, spreading them wide, and began to stretch, touching her toes.  
  
"You know, Oneechan, there are only a few people I regret having left behind in my old life..."  
  
Kasumi nodded.  
  
"You remind me of two of them. One was my mother... she wasn't always calm and collected, but when she left that state, she usually returned to it very fast. She was very much in control of her own life, but was also one of the gentlest and kindest people I knew."  
  
Kasumi smiled. "She sounds like a nice person."  
  
Kodora stretched forward. "She was. She had her faults, though... and she totally failed to understand a lot of people. She tried, but she often didn't quite make it..."  
  
Now she began twisting at the waist, almost 180 degrees, first left, then right. Kasumi winced slightly, surprised that anyone could do that. It was slightly... disturbing. It got even worse at one point, as the small girl's spine let out a series of snaps and pops.  
  
"Pardon me, but doesn't that hurt?"  
  
Kodora stopped and blinked. "Not really. I've been doing this so long, it's just a stretch now. I didn't used to be able to twist this far. But I kept stretching almost daily, and this is where its gotten me. I forgot to stretch a lot recently, and I couldn't with the injuries... but I used to be able to go full 180."  
  
Now the small girl stood up, and began swinging her arms in circles, starting large, and gradually getting smaller.  
  
"Anywhich, the other person you remind me of was this one guy I knew. He was really cool, actually. Come to think of it, that's the best way to describe how he was cool. If you did something, or said something you thought, as long as it wasn't outright wrong or harming someone, his typical response was pretty much 'That's cool.' Most tolerant person I ever met. I aspire to that, you know? I have my views, and if yours are different, I'll explain mine to you, and try to get you to see my side.." Now she was basically waving her fists in the air at arms length in very small circles. She reversed the clockwiseness of the motion, and began slowly enlarging the circles. "But that's all. I won't try to force anyone to think or do something. It's just... wrong, to me, you know?"  
  
Kasumi nodded and stood up. "Could you teach me some of those stretches?"  
  
Kodora smiled. "Of course, Oneechan. I'd love to."  
  
******  
  
Ranma was thinking hard.  
  
He was awake. It was maybe 5:20 AM, and Kodora and Kasumi were taking their bath. He wasn't watching.  
  
He had his mental eyes closed, and was thinking hard. He was trying to come to grips with something.  
  
He had lost.  
  
Or had he? Really, he had forefeited by running away, right? Wasn't that what he had done?  
  
So why had he done it in the first place? It was dishonorable.  
  
But Kodora knew how much honor meant to him, and she would know that that would damage or destroy his honor.  
  
Which meant she was seeing something he had missed.  
  
But what was it? She kept telling him he was as smart as she was, so he ought to be able to figure it out himself.  
  
There was nothing actually in the code of honor, or in the code of martial artists…  
  
Wait, martial arts. Something about that…  
  
The Saotome Secret Technique! Running until you can think of something!  
  
But wasn't that dishonorable?  
  
Only… he would think of something. And besides, he himself hadn't actually left. Instead, Kodora had driven Ryoga off.  
  
Still, it didn't quite strike him right. And with Ryoga…  
  
Something was nagging him about that, too…  
  
******  
  
Ranma missed a step, missed the fence, and just barely missed landing on Akane when he ate pavement.  
  
"Oh, KUSO!!!!"  
  
Akane, who had almost stopped to help him up when he fell, kept going, walking fast so as not to have people think she was with him.  
  
Ranma sat up.  
  
*What the heck is it, Ranma? That hurt!*  
  
*Kodora, did you notice that Ryoga wasn't surprised when I turned into you?*  
  
Kodora thought a moment. *You're right, Oniisan. That's a little weird. Do you think he's been to Jusenkyoo?*  
  
*I KNOW he's been to Jusenkyoo. And which pool he fell in.*  
  
*What???*  
  
*Think about it a moment. First off, our curse- your form, is totally unique. Even if he's been to Jusenkyoo, that would at least surprise him. Right?*  
  
*…I guess so.*  
  
*Okay, now, what else do we know about Ryoga? What does he always have with him?*  
  
*Uh…. His umbrella?*  
  
Ranma put his face in his hand. *Try again. Think about when I first described him to you.*  
  
Kodora thought a moment. *What am I supposed to be looking for?*  
  
*Something the same. Something he's wearing.*  
  
*Uh… his bandannas?*  
  
*Right! Now, what do his bandannas look like?*  
  
*Well, they're yellow, with… strange… square… OH CRAP!!! He… he can't be…*  
  
*That's right. Ryoga fell in the spring of drowned funny-colored rabbit. Or something like that.*  
  
Mental silence.  
  
More mental silence, as Ranma got up and hopped back on the fence.  
  
Ranma was surprised that he arrived at school without Kodora uttering another mental word.  
  
******  
  
Ranma, on top of the clock tower of the school, looked around.  
  
*Here?*  
  
*Hai, oniisan.*  
  
*Okay...*  
  
Ranma upended a thermos of cold water on himself. Kodora immediately retied the hair-ribbon into a fluffy bow. She adjusted their clothing so it wouldn't get in her way. Then she set to stretching.  
  
First, she put her feet about shoulder-width-and-a-half apart, and twisted one way, then the other, at the waist, eight times each way. Then she began reaching for her right toes, left toes, roof underneath her, back to right toes, repeat eight times each direction.  
  
*Why are we stretching? This doesn't seem like any sort of martial arts...*  
  
*It's not, Ranma. It's dancing. These are stretches used for jazz and ballet dancing.*  
  
She began tilting her head, first forward eight times, then left eight times, then right eight times, then back eight times.  
  
*You mean you're going to DANCE up here?*  
  
Kodora managed to shrug with her head tilted 90 degrees to the right.  
  
*It helps me think sometimes. Only a few other things are as good for thinking to me, and the Tendoos don't have any video games, and we don't have a good Geimenhardt open-hole flute or even a recorder, so this is what I've got right now.*  
  
She had moved on to sitting stretches, splay-legged, reaching to one foot for eight counts, the other foot for eight, and then leaning over as far forward as she could.  
  
*Wow. That really pulls. I don't usually get that when I warm up for martial arts...*  
  
*You've spent most of your life on martial arts. It's been a few years since I've danced seriously. I used to be more flexible, before.*  
  
Now she had her feet together and was stretching for her toes.  
  
"Ah, the feral one! Glad I am that I followed you all the way up here! For I, Kuno Tatewaki, the Muddy Oar of Furinkan High... wait but a moment, I fear me I have made a mistake..."  
  
Kodora sat up, reached back, and grabbed Kuno, who was sitting a short way behind her, by the neck. She twisted at the waist and neck until she could look him dead in the eye.  
  
"Kuno-senpai, if you are going to be up here, you will be silent and you will stay out of the way. Or I will kick you off of this clock tower myself. Repeatedly." Here, her eyes seemed to harden to a pair of crystalline crimson rubies. "Do. You. Understand?"  
  
Smiling magnanimously, the ersatz kendoist stood, incidentally helping Kodora to her feet. She took advantage of the opportunity to untwist at the waist and neck, while keeping her eyes locked on him.  
  
"Yea, for I am so in love to thee, I shall hear thine request, and remain here, that you might view my magnificence whilst you do exercise yourself, much as I contemplate some photographs of you, my kami, and my beloved Tendoo Akane!"  
  
"Kuno?"  
  
"Yes, o Feral One?"  
  
"SHADDUP AN' SIDDOWN!" Bellowed Kodora, several veins standing out on her forehead.  
  
Kuno gladly complied, once he had rolled to a stop.  
  
Kodora's expression instantly returned to one of calmness. "Thank you. Keep this up, and you just might be bearable."  
  
She returned to her stretches, now with her feet together at the heels, though they were pointed at a 110 degree angle to each other. Sticking her arms out to either side, making a fist with each hand, she started windmilling them. Gradually, she closed the circle until she was basically rolling her arms, then reversed directions and the process, just as slowly. All the while, she was conversing with Ranma.  
  
*You LET him STAY?!?*  
  
*Yes... is something wrong with that?*  
  
*Imootochan, the guy practically proclaimed he was gonna ogle ya!*  
  
*Ranma, it's not like I have anything TO ogle. Besides, he's not so bad.*  
  
*You're kidding, right? C'mon, you were ready to kill this guy earlier! Twice, even!*  
  
*That was when I was angry. Ranma, the guy's got to have one heck of a good side to him, with the downside he's got. Everyone's worth knowing for some reason. If I let him hang around, I may just find it. Besides...*  
  
*What?*  
  
*He may just learn to be a bit better of a person by watching us.*  
  
*Imootochan, for your sake, I'll hope you're right.*  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Okay. Time for a serious, big note here.  
  
I have to say, when I got the reactions to the last few chapters, I was rather miffed. Here, I had told everyone how I felt, and I got all of TWO positive responses, and at least three negative responses, all with a lot of upsetness behind them.  
  
I was ready to go back and rewrite everything all over, change stuff.  
  
It took me a while to get there, a lot of thinking about it.  
  
Then I realized something.  
  
I am the one writing this.  
  
And, you know what? I think I'll stay honest about my feelings. So I'm not taking back what I put about Kodora's/my depression. 'Coz I really feel like that. I don't care about out-angsting Ryoga. That wasn't the point at all. Although I can honestly say that I would rather be Ryoga than me.  
  
The point, however, was not that I have more problems, or worse emotional problems than Ryoga.  
  
The point was that being there in the Ranmaverse, that version of me finally found some good people to start to open up to. The point was that I AM depressed. That I feel that way. That having someone who actually tries to understand, and realizes when they don't, could do me a lot of good. Incidentally, this has helped me decide to finally see a psychiatrist, but that's a little bit besides the point.  
  
It was nicely cathartic, too.  
  
And as far as acting all happy and cheerful, and turning out to be so depressed... you say that's not possible? Then what the frack am I doing, then? I work at a freakin' FAST FOOD JOINT! I spend all day acting friendly and cheerful. I went to a school where we had to do theater. Acting happy is easy. Acting cheerful is easy. 'Specially when you get yelled at for acting how you really feel. By your parents, nonetheless.  
  
Self-centred indeed.  
  
As for out-depressing Ryoga, yes, I could. Even if not canon Ryoga, I could outdo this Ryoga. Why is this Ryoga less depressed?  
  
He doesn't turn into a pig, so not many people are going to try to eat him. He doesn't love an Akane who doesn't love him. Also, he's had less time to get depressed by failing to beat Ranma than canon Ryoga has by the time HE finds the Shishi Hokodan.  
  
So, there.  
  
And I don't want to hear any more about that. It's writing, okay? You don't like it, you don't read it. You only don't like that part, you don't read that part. It's not like I'll be offended. I know not everyone thinks like I do.  
  
Heck, given some of my thought processes, I'm just about ready to say noone thinks like I do. Well, almost ready.  
  
Anyhoo... don't let the whole depression thing turn you off from the fic. Just please, no more reviews loudly and lengthily declaiming the incorrectness and stupidity of such an idea, alright?  
  
Alright.  
  
On a slightly lighter note, I'd like to know what you think of the second part of Dissertation. Clear up some stuff? Do you think I need to talk a little more about ki and chi, or is it okay to go on to magic yet? Who would you like to see running the fundraiser? Any other questions?  
  
If you'd like to mail me and be sure I'll get it relatively soon, Email to "Selene Starblade@aol.com".  
  
Yeah, there's an actual space in it. That's why I didn't put it on my Author page. Most Web stuff doesn't like that, gets all hiccuppy on you, and whatnot.  
  
What else was there...  
  
OH, yeah. Pretty soon, I'm gonna skip ahead a day or two, so we can FINALLY get to the Kodora/Akane spar, and the ??/Kodachi Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics thing.  
  
I know I'm doing the days and such in a lot more detail than Takahashi-sama did. Why?  
  
Well, things really haven't fallen into any sort of a daily pattern yet, so I really CAN'T skip them. Once things settle down into a typical Neriman wierdity (is that even a word? Probably not. Oh, well.), I can start accellerating time a little.  
  
And no, I'm still not sure when, exactly, I'm going to have the Amazons reach Nerima.  
  
But I'm gonna have a lotta fun with Mu Tsu.  
  
But no bashing.  
  
I think that's it for now, so... until next time, Jaa ne!  
  
  
  
"Father, dear, you *are* an idiot, aren't you?"  
  
-Tendoo Kasumi, 'Worst Case', by Scott K. Jamison 


	26. Book Three, Chapter 8: This City's Going...

Kodora was doing the basic time steps for tap dancing.  
  
*shuf-fle-HOP-brush-step-brush-ball-change. Shuf-fle-HOP-brush-step-brush- ball-change. Shuf-fle-HOP-brush-step-brush-ball-change. Shuf-fle-HOP-fa- lap-ball-CHANGE.*  
  
On to the second set.  
  
*Shuf-fle-HOP-shuffle-step-brush-ball-change. Shuf-fle-HOP-shuffle-WAK!*  
  
"So sweet a kiss the golden sun gives not  
  
To those fresh morning drops upon the rose,  
  
As thy eyebeams, when their fresh rays have smote  
  
The night of dew that on my cheeks down flows;  
  
Nor shines the silver moon one half so bright  
  
Throught the transparent bosom of the deep,  
  
As doth thy face through tears of mine give light."  
  
Kodora picked up Kuno's bento, unseen by the ersatz kendoist, who was reading from a scroll he had written.  
  
"Hey, Kuno!"  
  
Kuno looked up. "Yes, ommmmph??"  
  
It was hard to praise someone through a whole bento jammed in your mouth.  
  
"Stop ripping off Shakespeare! I'm flattered that you want to write poetry about me, really. BUT DON'T PLAGIARIZE!!"  
  
"Mmph curph mff wmd km-mph. Mwu mwll mwph umm mmph wmph w-wmph."  
  
Kodora massaged her temples with her right hand. "I'm pretty sure I don't even want to know what you just said."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 23: This City's Going to the Kunos.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by S. Starblade  
  
Dedicated to a good hand of Dragon Poker... speaking of which, who has my rulebook? Skeeve? You seen it?  
  
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer. I own Kodora, Noriko, Yumi, Sin Ku, and that's it so far. Yawanna use them in your fics, please ask first. Oh, and the rest of them all belong to Takahashi-sama. I swear, I could never come up with so many cool and funny people on my own.  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
* * = Ranma/Kodora conversation  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
It may need to be noted at this point that Nerimans hardly ever say "Go to Hell!"  
  
This has nothing to do with the unusually high probability that a god or demon may be wandering by and cause the speaker, or the speakee, respectively, to do just that. Although, actually, some demons will send BOTH people to Hell.  
  
To some people in Nerima, saying this is a way of wishing someone well. Not many, but a few of them.  
  
No, a Neriman doesn't say "Go to Hell!"  
  
They say "Go live with the Kunos!"  
  
'Cuz ain't NOONE wanna do that.  
  
******  
  
"Mmph mmphmm fmm. Mmph mm fmmf ummph mff."  
  
"ARGH! I give up!"  
  
Kodora turned, braced one foot against Kuno's neck, and grabbed the bento with both hands.  
  
"Glkk..." Gurgled the semi-sentient swordsman, dismayed at the lack of oxygen.  
  
"This might hurt."  
  
With a mighty pull, Kodora yanked the bento free of Tatewaki's mouth. The force of her pull sent her flying towards the edge of the clock tower.  
  
"CRAP!!!!"  
  
*SHIT!!!!!*  
  
"Oh Wild One, do not attempt to fly! I shall carry you..."  
  
Kodora tuned out Tatewaki, concentrating on shifting her balance just so...  
  
She began somersaulting the opposite direction from the empty air she was currently flying towards. Her feet caught on the small lip of concrete, and she shoved as hard as she could.  
  
Now she was going the OTHER direction.  
  
Straight towards the open-armed Kuno.  
  
"CRAP!!!!"  
  
*SHIT!!!!*  
  
"Oh, Wild One, I am honored that you entrust yourself unto these arms...."  
  
Kodora had just enough time to get a distinct sense of deja vu before she ran smack into the kendoist.  
  
Kuno, stumbling, dropped the bento and caught the small, demonlike martial artist. Then he caught his balance, and his wind, but his mind (which had gone wandering many years earlier) continued to elude him.  
  
Finally no longer suspended midair, Kodora relaxed a moment, trying to catch her breath. Her mind had been temporarily derailed by the deja-vu and the excitement, but Ranma the big crane was right there to put the cars back on the tracks.  
  
*Uh, imooto-chan?*  
  
*Yes, oniisan?*  
  
*Do you... like Kuno?*  
  
*Well, he's okay. Kinda annoying sometimes, but I guess he could make a good friend.*  
  
*No, no... I mean, do you LIKE Kuno?*  
  
*Ewwww! Tatebaka? No, of course not!*  
  
*Um... Then why are you letting him carry you?*  
  
Kodora blinked.  
  
*Come again?*  
  
Then she became uncomfortably aware that Tatewaki was carefully holding her under the backs of the knees and the middle of her back, and staring lost into her eyes, which had been pointing an altogether different direction.  
  
"ACK!!"  
  
Till the end of her days, Kodora would never be able to figure out how she'd done it, but within three seconds of that revelation, Kuno was embedded facefirst in the wall of the stairway shelter, and she was down a whole floor. Stopping on the landing, she shuddered violently.  
  
"YUCK! IckyuckackickyickickICK!!! Bleah!! Nasty!!"  
  
Ranma got a mental sweatdrop.  
  
*I'll admit it was a little gross, but aren't you going overboard?*  
  
*Ranma, we have a choice. You can promise not to look at anything you've never seen before, and I'll go use the showers, or we can go home. Either way, I NEED TO CLEAN MYSELF OFF.*  
  
Ranma's thoughts became puzzled.  
  
*Why, was he muddy?*  
  
Kodora sweatdropped. *It's psychological, Ranma. It's for my peace of mind, not because of dirt.*  
  
*Ohhhhhh.... I get it.*  
  
******  
  
Kodora stepped out of the shower area and into the locker room to find a number of other girls in there, changing into PE uniforms.  
  
Apparently the bell had rung while she was in there.  
  
*Oops.*  
  
Ranma, eyes 'closed', became worried. *Oops? Oops what? What's wrong?*  
  
Kodora was treated to an up-close view of the faces of all the girls in her classroom and the next one over to either side.  
  
"Aheh... the... uh... bell rang while I was in there, didn't it?"  
  
Akane stepped into the locker room.  
  
Kodora paled. "crap" She opined, in a very small voice. Her tail hung down, looking almost limp, her ears moved back slightly, and all her quills stood down slightly.  
  
Akane turned to the others. "Hey, what's so...." Akane did a double-take. "Inter...est....."  
  
Kodora nervously waved hi with three fingers.  
  
"...ing??? What are YOU doing in here?"  
  
Kodora, getting cold by this time, hoped someone might notice her shivering and hand her her clothes, a towel...  
  
Hell, she'd settle for a washrag at this point.  
  
"Um... splashed... er... muddy... um..."  
  
Akane peered at her veeeeeery close in the eyes.  
  
Sincerely afraid, Kodora began to tear up slightly.  
  
"please don't hurt me?"  
  
Akane sighed. She may be in competition with the girl, but she was Kodora's... older sister. Felt wierd to think that.  
  
"It's... okay. Everyone keep getting changed. I'll explain meanwhile."  
  
Noone moved.  
  
"Do you want to be late on the field?"  
  
There was a sudden flurry of motion. Mrs. Isshii gave two laps for every minute you were late.  
  
Of the football field.  
  
Kodora whispered to Akane.  
  
"Okay, who's got Kodora's clothes?"  
  
There was no response.  
  
Akane raised one eyebrow, and her voice got an edge to it.  
  
"Who has MY LITTLE SISTER'S CLOTHES."  
  
The boxers, kung-fu-pants, softsoled slippers, and tang assaulted Kodora from different parts of the room. She was about to put on the clothes when Akane stopped her.  
  
"Hold on. Mrs. Isshii requires uniform. Hmm. Yuka-chan, come here."  
  
Yuka stepped up next to Akane. "Ah... yes, Akane-chan?" She queried, eyeing the miniscule martial artist carefully.  
  
Akane whispered something in her ear.  
  
Yuka eyed Kodora again. "You sure that's the right size?"  
  
"If it's a little big, she'll probably grow into it. Physically, she's about eleven or twelve."  
  
The room performed a unified blink.  
  
Yuka gave Akane a look. "You'll tell me later, right? 'Coz I'm not leaving if I'm gonna miss out on the explanation."  
  
Akane nodded. "Of course."  
  
Yuka rushed out. Akane was surprised to note Kodora sitting on a bench, folding her clothes, tail slowly lashing at the tip.  
  
Kodora looked back at Akane.  
  
"Gym clothes, right?"  
  
Akane nodded, and moved to her locker, taking out her clothes. Everyone else was mostly done changing.  
  
"Anyways, to put it simply... Kodora's a girl and Ranma's a boy."  
  
The floor cracked in several places from the mass flying facefault.  
  
Akane sweated. "No, no, I KNOW that's obvious. But that's not what I mean. I mean, like in the mind. Kodora's COMPLETELY a girl, and Ranma's COMPLETELY a boy."  
  
A few people noted that Kodora wasn't actually staring at anyone, and when she did look at the other girls, it was in the face. She seemed totally uninterested in their bodies, underwear, or clothing.  
  
Besides, Akane was the big AP.  
  
The Anti-Pervert.  
  
So, some grudgingly, some not, the girls in the PE class accepted that Kodora would be a part of their class, at least for now.  
  
******  
  
Nabiki looked out her window, at her sister's PE class, and fell out of her chair.  
  
******  
  
Kodora, in the outfield, flexed the mitt she was wearing, and kept her 'ready to run' stance. This consisted of standing pretty much normally, but on the balls of her feet.  
  
Mrs. Isshii had looked her over a couple of times, shrugged, and asked if she knew anything about softball. She'd wound up on Akane's team, but in the outfield, where Akane was the shortstop.  
  
She waited. She could barely see the batter clearly from this distance, but she kept her eyes sharp for the moving object that the ball would soon become.  
  
It was the third inning. Her one time up at bat, she had struck out. So far, no balls had gone in her general direction, and there was one out and one strike.  
  
The pitcher moved.  
  
KRAKK  
  
Within half a second, she realized the ball was heading in her direction. She flashed its arc into her mind as she turned and ran the direction it had been heading.  
  
It was waaaaaay out there.  
  
Matter of fact, it was going to land in the stands, making it a home run.  
  
Not if she could help it.  
  
Sprinting, she judged the distance between her and the wall, and focused her chi.  
  
*Hope this works...*  
  
She sprang from her sprint into a rather large leap. Too large, in fact.  
  
Clearing the wall by a foot too much, she narrowly avoided a crash landing, by bouncing off the seat of the folding chair. As she bounced up, she spun 180. The ball was... THERE! Heading for a seat four-no, five rows back and three seats over.  
  
Kodora bounced in a series of short hops, to all appearances floating from seat to seat, and held out her mitt.  
  
The ball finished its descent, right into the palm of the mitt.  
  
And kept going.  
  
The center-outfielder winced as Kodora folded much like the chair she was standing on, which folded under her. The chair folded so hard, as a matter of fact, that the small girl got doubled under, calves even with her head, her eyes wide as her legs folded further up than ever before.  
  
She took a deep breath.  
  
******  
  
SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Ryoga, currently recuperating somewhere on the edge of Tokyo, winced at the sound of the loudest obscenity he'd ever heard.  
  
******  
  
The center-outfielder had just managed to run the stairs into the stands in time to watch as Kodora tried one last time to force her way out of the seat.  
  
The hinges finally gave, and the small demon-girl slumped completely out of the seat. By the time her teammate had made it to her, she was already kneeling. Tears of pain in her eyes, she held up her mitt, and spoke two hoarse words.  
  
"Got it...."  
  
******  
  
"Lousy slippery metal chair." Kodora grumbled to herself as she departed the school building.  
  
*At least you're probably more flexible now, right?*  
  
*Shut up, Ranma.*  
  
"Wild Kami!" Declaimed Tatewaki, emerging from the school behind her. "Wait but a moment!"  
  
Sighing, Kodora turned to face the ersatz kendoist. "Whadda ya want, Kuno?"  
  
"O, fairest of wildflowers, it hath come to my attention that you intend to compete in a match of gymnastical prowess and martial sparring in a constructed ring using implements of the Rhythmic Gymnastic variety in direct opposition to my sister Kodachi, who holds the unique distinction of being the champion Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnast in her school of St. Hebereke High School for the Instruction and Education of girls. As such, I do believe it wouldst behoove you to embark upon a mission of training for this match, and indeed it might be advantageous for you and your opponent to know each other so that each may better prepare to compete fairly in the upcoming match. My grand domicile possesses facilities of the highest quality for heightening one's skills in the esoteric martial art to which you aspire familiarity with. I seek to know if thou dost wish to embark upon your mission of training in the domicile of the Kuno family, such that you might employ our specialized facility to improve your skills in combat, that you might have a better opportunity to defeat my sister in combat, or at least to avoid potentially disfiguring injuries, as you have made it apparent that you wish to compete as if on a par with us mere mortals?"  
  
Kodora replied simply: "Yes, of course, so long as you do not interrupt my training."  
  
Kuno grinned magnanimously. "Verily, I shall not impinge upon thine ability to enhance your learning of the art in question, as I do most earnestly give my wholehearted backing to your side of this encounter. And, as you seem to prefer, I shall endeavor not to allow my poetic pursuits to perpetrate perplexion on your pulchritudinous practice of multifold art."  
  
"Thank you. You don't look particularly ugly yourself."  
  
*Huh?*  
  
Kodora followed the bokken buffoon, tuning out his longwinded rants. *He said that his mansion has a training facility for Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics, that Kodachi is his sister, and offered to let me go over to his house for the afternoon to train there and meet Kodachi in a noncombat situation. I accepted, on the condition I stated, and he agreed to try and not bother me, while stating that I was physically attractive to him.*  
  
*Ooooohhhhh....*  
  
They walked past Nabiki.  
  
"Oneechan, I'm going to the Kunos' to meet Kodachi and train. I'll be home in time for dinner!"  
  
Nabiki nodded absently. "Of course, Imootochan." She returned to sorting the win and loss slips from the bets regarding Ranma and Kodora's actions for the day.  
  
She stopped short.  
  
"Going to the Kunos'????"  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Oy, big notes here.  
  
About the whole 'out-angsting Ryoga' thing. Sorry if I sounded a little harsh, but I honestly feel like that. Not once in the manga has Ryoga acted truly depressed, mostly he just bemoans his problems (most of which he himself could fix if he had a little bit of spine). I do appreciate the reviews, I just don't agree with your point.  
  
As far as 'Dissertation' is concerned, I know I'm going to continue it. It's just a matter of will it be interludes to this fic, or one of the others I've got in the works?  
  
Thank you, Ed Becerra, for pointing that out before I had to. It is true. A wild rabbit is considerably more dangerous than a tame one. Not to mention more dangerous than a little piglet. On top of that, it's a GREEN rabbit. Now, I don't know about all you people, but I sure don't know anyone that would just run out and try to cook a green rabbit when they didn't know WHY it was green. For all anyone else knows, Ryoga's rabbit- form has been irradiated or is poisonous or something. Besides, a rabbit is a considerably more common pet than a piglet, particularly considering that wild piglets can grow up to be rather large and somewhat dangerous boars. Of course, Ryoga's curse being that of drowned PIGLET usually, his cursed form likely won't grow up.  
  
Anyhoo.... So far, I've only seen one person's opinion on who Ranma should/is going to end up with. More opinions! Not that they're likely to affect much about what I write to that effect, but still.  
  
Some of you may have noticed my other fic, "I Must be Out Of My Hair". Since that one's going to be written pretty slowly, I'm putting a note about it here.  
  
On a review for that, one person complained that I oughtn't to let the continuation of the fic rest on the readers. I wasn't doing that. I was letting the fic's continued posting on FF.net rest on the readers.  
  
That out of the way, something else comes to mind.  
  
Sorry, but this fic was written in chapters, and not just because of FF.net. Notice how I'm organising it into books (sort of)? I intended to do that in the first place. So it's all in individual chapter text files....  
  
That means that I CAN'T post it as a single text file on the FFML for Ranma. So very sorry, I am... but that's how it goes, ne? Incidentally, if you MUST have all the text files of this, Email me, and I'll see if I can send them to you as an attatched zip file. BTW, they are all in WordPad format. (Archaic, ne?) That's WordPad for Win95, so pretty much any word processor can translate them for you.  
  
On top of that, if anyone has a website they'd like to host my fic at, tell me please. Why? So I can send it, and the matching art for it. That's right, I draw who I write. Matter of fact, the people I write about, I usually draw first, to get a good idea of who they are. So far, I have only one post-quality piece of art for this fic, but there will eventually be more, and there will be other fics with other art.  
  
Is that everything? Hmmm....  
  
Oh, just a note. I haven't seen much of the anime, but I have all 19 of the american-translations of the Ranma manga that have come out so far. At this rate, though, this fic will never catch up.  
  
Just as well. I'd hate to run out of Takahashi characters to throw into this and coming to a total stall. Incidentally, the things not directly affected by Kodora will probably happen at close to their usual times. But no guarantees.  
  
Oh, and just a surprise for alla you out there.  
  
This fanfiction has no plan. That's write, this IS a fic written to 'see where it goes'. I have no plans for anything more than maybe a chapter or two ahead, and seldom even that far.  
  
Which means that some of the comments I've gotten in reviews can really give me a good laugh. Sorry for not mentioning that earlier.  
  
It's just as well. Any plan I wrote would get totally rewritten after every chapter anyways. This works better, I think.  
  
Just so long as I don't give up on it, which I specifically plan NOT to do.  
  
So, until the next chapter, Jaa ne!  
  
"Hi ya, Akane," Ranma said. "This is my friend Ryoga  
  
Hibiki. He lives next door to me and has a real problem with  
  
finding places."  
  
"I do not!" Ryoga said.  
  
"Then explain why you ended up in the closet when you were  
  
trying to leave your house by the front door," Ranma said.  
  
"The doors were too similar," Ryoga replied.  
  
"A pine plywood sliding door verses a solid oak swinging one  
  
. . . really similar, Ryoga," Ranma said.  
  
-"A Little Earlier", by someone whose name  
  
escapes me at the moment. 


	27. Book Four, Chapter 1: How About an Exhib...

Kodora looked around, in awe of the hugeness of the room.  
  
There were fifteen coat racks, all full, along one wall.  
  
Three wide cupboards held various things, a phone resting on top of each one, each bracketed by full umbrella stands.  
  
There were five closets opposite the coatracks and cupboards.  
  
This was the genkan.  
  
The area for wiping off and removing one's shoes was easily twenty feet square, and the raised area before the actual home was maybe two, three times that large.  
  
Dozens of pairs of house slippers waited on the lip of the raised area, in every conceivable size.  
  
Tatewaki chuckled at the way Kodora was looking around. If she kept it up too much longer, her head might unscrew and fall off.  
  
Changing his shoes, he opened a cupboard for Kodora to put her bookbag in, and then led the small girl deeper into the mansion.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 24: How About an Exhibition?  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Selene Starblade  
  
Dedicated to all the people who only seem insane.  
  
Disclaimer: The classic Ranma 1/2 characters aren't mine, but there are some characters in here who are. You'll know who they are.  
  
Key:  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
= English  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
* * = Conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
They were walking along a hallway, Kuno in the lead.  
  
"Wouldst thou deign to partake of a snack twixt meals ere you use the training facility, O Feral One?"  
  
"Sure, I- wha??"  
  
Kodora, suddenly wrapped in about twenty feet of rope, struggled for a moment, overbalanced, and fell on her face.  
  
Kuno stopped and turned around. Seeing the problem, he shook his head, and lashed out with his bokken, cutting the ropes.  
  
"I beg your pardons, Wild Kami. My sister doth have a great love of feindishly disguised and unerringly placed traps. I am experienced in avoiding them, although she does manage to catch me in a new one now or then. To avoid any troubles, 'twould be best for you to follow my steps exactly."  
  
Getting up, Kodora nodded, and rubbed a slight rope burn on one arm.  
  
******  
  
"Agh!"  
  
"You okay down there?"  
  
"Verily, I have survived well enough. If you would be so kind as to grab the rope off the end table about ten feet back down the hall?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
******  
  
"Gak!!"  
  
"Back! Back, I say, vile foliage!"  
  
******  
  
"Oh dear."  
  
"You wouldn't happen to have any lion food on you, would ya Kuno?"  
  
"No, but I have taken to carrying one of these around."  
  
"A taser! Quick, give it here!"  
  
"No, Wild One! Do not hold it-"  
  
BZZZZZZT!!  
  
"....there."  
  
******  
  
A (mildly charred) Kodora rushed through the door, followed by a slightly chewed-up kendoist. Slamming the door, Kuno locked it.  
  
Kodora leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees, to catch her breath, tail lashing wildly.  
  
Kuno shook his head, also breathing somewhat hard.  
  
"Aye, for who woulds't have suspected a mere lily to pose such danger? I am blessed with luck, indeed, to have managed to find its weak point."  
  
Kodora favored him with a mild glare. "Yeah, well, you COULD have helped out with those electric wires some more, you know?"  
  
Tatewaki shrugged. "My apologies. I hardly notice those anymore."  
  
Kodora eyed him suspiciously before turning to get a look at this training room.  
  
"........"  
  
And she had thought the front hall was big. You could probably have fit a whole soccer field in the room they were in. Strewn all across the floor were all manner of ribbons, balls, clubs, hoops, a couple of what looked like wrestling rings, and more than a few random objects one might find in an arena: referee bells, folding chairs, a table, and a few chunks of wooden support post.  
  
*wow.*  
  
*Yeah. This is..... big doesn't even begin to describe it...*  
  
*It's gimundigantihuge, Ranma. Gimundigantihuge.*  
  
Kuno unlocked the door.  
  
"I shall either send Sasuke for you at five-thirty in the evening, or come in person depending on whether or not my twisted sister has seen fit to plant new traps. Is that acceptible?"  
  
Kodora nodded mutely, and wandered off towards the changing room on one side of the huge training area, green leotard over one arm.  
  
Kuno disappeared into the rest of the mansion.  
  
******  
  
Kodora stood in the center of one ring, twirling the ribbon in a lazy cone over herself. What to do first...  
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOO!!!!!"  
  
Ah. Cringe. That was the first thing she would do. Looking towards the source of the horrible noise, she saw Kodachi standing in the middle of the other ring.  
  
*May as well find out what she's doing here right now...*  
  
So thinking, Kodora moved to the side of the ring closest to the other ring, Grabbing the top rope, she pulled back as far as she could, then jumped. The rope flung her into the air, and she lashed out with the ribbon still held in one hand, catching the top rope on the other ring. Rolling in midair, the small girl wound the ribbon around herself like a yoyo, pulling herself towards the rope. Ranma could have cleared the distance without the ribbon easily, but she was getting better. Reaching out as she fell, she snagged the bottom rope and twisted herself around, slipping between the two lower ropes and into the ring as she shed the ribbon from around herself. She stood carefully, unwinding the ribbon from the rope.  
  
Kodachi smirked.  
  
"That was interesting. I was told you had no skills in Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics."  
  
Kodora shrugged. "I'm a little bit of a fast learner. Runs in the family."  
  
*At least,* she added on mentally, *It runs in the family now.*  
  
"OHOHOHO! I see! My brother tells me that you are the other choice for Furinkan's champion in the match the day after tomorrow?"  
  
Kodora nodded warily.  
  
"And how will you peasants be deciding between yourself and that horrid Tendoo Akane?"  
  
Kodora frowned slightly. This Kodachi had a pretty bad attitude...  
  
"A sparring match. The victor will fight in the real match. Why?"  
  
Kodachi smirked, almost evilly. "How does this sound? We make it an exhibition match instead. Tomorrow, you and Akane fight in the ring in public to determine who faces me, and the day after, we have the real match?"  
  
Kodora frowned more. "It sounds like you're planning sabotage."  
  
Now Kodachi frowned. "Very well, I will give you my promise that I shall not do anything to take either one or both of you out of the running for the match. Tendoo Akane has demonstrated a certain... resistance... that I find interesting, and I wish to fight the actual match itself."  
  
"Hmmmm....."  
  
"Of course, you will have to get the agreement of the other girl as well, but I have little doubt that she will agree."  
  
"I suppose...."  
  
"Very well, I shall take that as a 'yes'. Remember to come straight here after school tomorrow! OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!"  
  
And with a very, VERY large shower of black rose petals, Kodachi left.  
  
******  
  
Kuno opened the door and stepped in, not needing to lock it this time. Although he did look slightly damp.  
  
"Feral One, are you done with your.... Why dost thou wear so many flower petals?"  
  
Kodora, in her/Ranma's tang and kung-fu pants, turned to Kuno, rose petals decorating the ends of most of her quills.  
  
"She's your sister. Can't YOU do something about that?"  
  
Tatewaki shrugged. "Not really, no. True, I am her elder, but the girl simply refuses to listen to my wise and intelligent personage."  
  
"Wonder why." Grumbled Kodora, as she stepped out the door.  
  
"Wait! Be careful of the..."  
  
There was a distinct rumbling sound as Kuno shut the door.  
  
"...tsunami trap..."  
  
******  
  
Souun, Akane, and Genma were at the door of the Kuno mansion.  
  
They were also badly charred. The special lock on the front door required a special passcode to be spoken. If you got it wrong, the entire street became electrified for a few seconds.  
  
Needless to say, with Souun and Genma there, there had been a LOT of wrong guesses.  
  
Nabiki, of course, had volunteered to stay home. She was protective of her family, but she certainly wasn't dumb. She was waiting by the phone, with her hand over the dialer.  
  
A rumbling sound began slowly.  
  
From inside the mansion, they could hear voices.  
  
"CHIKUSHOO!!"  
  
That sounded like Kodora...  
  
"Quickly! Make haste to the door and do not fail to obtain your posessions and footwear!"  
  
And that sounded like Kuno.....  
  
GRMMMGRMMMGRMMM  
  
..so what was that?  
  
There was the sound of a cupboard slamming open.  
  
Someone grabbed the doorhandle.  
  
"KUSO!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The door broke out of its frame, and plowed into the building across the street. Kodora flew out the door, tumbling into Akane, who fell into Souun, who flew into the panda.  
  
Then the water came out the door. The entire stack found themselves pressed against the door which was now an integral part of the wall of the building.  
  
Each one of the Tendoos took a moment to be thankful that Genma had been the one on the BOTTOM of the stack.  
  
Just as Kodora was sure she was going to run out of breath and drown, the water stopped.  
  
Gasping, she looked to find an unconscious Kuno wrapped around his bokken, which had wedged against the doorway, preventing him from leaving the mansion.  
  
The three Tendoos and the panda all got up, groaning, and did their best to dry off.  
  
Then they headed for the Tendoo-ke, as Kodora explained, in detail, each and every trap she had run into.  
  
******  
  
" -and THAT's why Kodora had all those rose petals stuck in her hair."  
  
The family plus one-and-a-half had just finished dinner, and were sitting around the table, talking.  
  
Akane looked doubtful. "Are you sure she won't try anything?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "She promised. Kodora agreed. There's really nothing to do about it now, unless you really don't want to make the pre-match public."  
  
Akane shrugged. "Why not. It'll at least get some publicity for the Dojo." This had nothing to do with the way Nabiki was elbowing her and holding one of Genma's signs, which read [family finances]. It was all about making sure people got to see things, and that her family honor was upheld.  
  
Really it was.  
  
******  
  
Somewhere in Tokyo, Ryoga was wandering.  
  
Now he wasn't so sure anymore. It sounded like Kodora hadn't had much of a good life. He hadn't either.  
  
And here he had gone and tried to make it worse, instead of trying to get along with what was probably a kindred spirit.  
  
He winced and put one hand over the pencil-thin puncture wound in his arm.  
  
At least she mostly wasn't angry at him. If she could have done all that with a tight beam, she could probably have really beaten him up just then if she had made it wide blasts like he had been using.  
  
And Ranma... well, it really wasn't all Ranma's fault, was it?  
  
Ryoga was ashamed. He had let his way of training for the match overwhelm him, had lost sight of reality in it.  
  
All things considered, with the level of focus and the volume of the depression-driven chi the small girl had been putting out, he'd gotten off lucky.  
  
He supposed Ranma had run off from that fight, sort of, but then he himself hadn't been all that honorable about seeking it. He hadn't even given Ranma any real time to prepare, much less a warning that he wasn't feeling friendly.  
  
He absently noticed that he was walking through yet another living room.  
  
A young man with black hair and a pigtail was being used as a rope in a game of tug-o-war between a cyan-haired girl who wasn't wearing a whole lot, and a purple-haired girl who was speaking with a refined accent.  
  
The young man was pleading for the other two to 'Just cut it out!'  
  
Holding his nose lightly, Ryoga shook his head.  
  
'Weenie.' He thought.  
  
He waved to himself as he walked past. "Hi Ryoga."  
  
"Hello, Ryoga." Said the slightly taller, older Ryoga, who was walking alongside a short, redheaded mad scientist.  
  
Being this lost was awfully annoying.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Okay, just a few things...  
  
Thank you all for the kind reviews.  
  
It's good to see that there ARE people out there who will support people like me. I just wish you were all here instead of out there. Oh, well. Can't always get what you want.  
  
As for the one review mentioning the 'Dojo Destroyer' arc... actually, Akane specifically refuses her father's help in it, despite her injured hand. At least, that's how it goes in the Manga.  
  
It's not that Akane's stuck up or anything, she just desperately wants to prove herself. She has almost as much of a confidence problem as Ranma has a sexuality problem, with the curse and his mother and all.  
  
Incidentally, her reaction to the curse this time around should be interesting to see, when I finally get to it.  
  
So... Ryoga has started to think again. And may be returning to Nerima.  
  
As soon as he finds his way out of that alternate dimension.  
  
Next chapter, we'll be having at least the Kodora/Akane match! Who's gotten more practice? Who's better? Who WILL face Kodachi?  
  
And what about Kodachi's promise?  
  
This story arc comes to a head next chapter!  
  
See you all next time! Ja ne!  
  
"It's been- One week since the show about  
  
Psycho killers with problems they should work out  
  
Five days since the big surprise  
  
Where some loser's wife said that she's still dating twenty guys  
  
Three days since he interviewed  
  
A bunch of psychic porn star midgets who were all nude  
  
Yesterday, it occured to me  
  
That I've been watchin' a bit too much Jerry Springer  
  
Tired of wastin' my time on that Jerry Springer  
  
I've got way too much class to watch Jerry Springer  
  
Come over here and pull on my finger...."  
  
-Wierd Al Yankovic, "Jerry Springer", a parody of "One Week" by E. Robertson. 


	28. Book Four, Chapter 2: How Much is it Wor...

The two girls stood in the ring at Hebereke. In many ways they were similar.  
  
Both were full of conviction to do their best.  
  
Both were determined to defeat Kodachi at the next opportunity.  
  
Both wanted very badly to face the Kuno girl in the match the very next day.  
  
Both had practiced for many hours over the past week.  
  
And both were named Tendoo.  
  
They were different in many ways, too.  
  
One wanted to win to prove herself, the other wanted to do her best because it was right.  
  
One wanted to defeat Kodachi in return for an attack, the other wanted to face Kodachi because it was a definite challenge.  
  
One wanted to face Kodachi to punish her, the other wanted to face Kodachi to test herself.  
  
One had practiced alone, dead set on doing this all herself, the other had accepted help from friends and family, wanting to be at her best for this.  
  
One was named Akane by her father, the other was named Kodora by her own self.  
  
And neither was quite sure which was more important to her.  
  
Winning, or ensuring the safety of her sister.  
  
The question was, to whom would go the victory?  
  
The one who was more willing to sacrifice another?  
  
Or the one who was more willing to sacrifice herself?  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 24: How Much is it Worth to You?  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade  
  
Dedicated to everyone who doesn't need a greater force looking over their shoulder to ensure they do right.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Duh. If I did own them, I would be writing this for money. But if you so much as touch Kodora or Sin Ku in your fanfics without my permission....  
  
I'LL SIC BARNEY ON YAS!!!!!!  
  
Key:  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
= English  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
* * = Ranma/Kodora mental conversation  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
"Shake hands and go to your corners!" Shouted the referee.  
  
Kodora smiled and extended her hand. Akane, looking a bit less happy, took it and shook.  
  
As she walked to her corner, Akane remembered what had happened in the dressing room.  
  
******  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
(Wayne and Garth slide by sideways waving their fingers and saying "Doodleoodleoodleoodle" over and over again.)  
  
******  
  
Akane sat on the chair so she could pull the leotard over her legs.  
  
This was going to be wierd. She would be fighting her sister in front of all those people. Two counts against her concentration already. She wasn't sure she'd be able to bring herself to fight hard enough to defeat the small girl.  
  
Just as she finally got the whole leotard into place over her sports bra (the straps were a little close to her neck), a surprise happened.  
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOOOO!"  
  
Akane cringed as Kodachi dove in the window, wearing her usual black leotard. She turned a glare on the tall girl.  
  
"What do YOU want??" Akane asked heatedly.  
  
Kodachi grinned. "I have come to offer you a deal...."  
  
******  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
(Genma-panda slides by, waving large signs in semaphore)  
  
******  
  
Kodora strode to her corner, giving a nod to Noriko, her second. The other girl had insisted, and Kodora really hadn't taken much convincing to promise that Noriko would be her corner for this match and, if she won, for the match the next day.  
  
As she took up her starting weapon, the hoop, she remembered what had happened in the dressing room.  
  
******  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
(Ryoga wanders by, and the view follows him through several different locations on Earth in a matter of moments.)  
  
******  
  
Kodora was playing with the ribbon, waiting for the arena to fill so she could go out and meet her sister in the ring. She was still thinking about what she might be able to do with the ribbon, when...  
  
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOOOOO!"  
  
Cringe.  
  
Kodora sighed. "What is it?"  
  
Kodachi smiled evilly. The effect was helped a lot by her extremely heavy eyeshadow.  
  
"Remember how I promised not to cheat?"  
  
Kodora nodded slowly.  
  
"Well, I have a deal for you..."  
  
******  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
(Kodachi hops by, spraying rose petals that obscure the view for a moment.)  
  
******  
  
Akane turned to face the center of the ring, holding the rope, her choice starting weapon.  
  
She saw Kodora smiling happily at her, poking her tongue out slightly, her slight fangs showing. Akane couldn't help but smile back.  
  
The bell rang.  
  
The smiles dropped.  
  
The fight was on.  
  
******  
  
A few weeks ago, Tendoo Souun would have been crying. Either fearing for one or the other of his daughters, bemoaning that they had decided to fight this out, or in ecstasy that two of his daughters had chosen to pursue martial arts.  
  
It was a different Tendoo Souun who sat next to Kasumi that day. He merely sat silently and watched, beaming slightly that his daughters had apparently decided to keep this friendly. Their expressions were of concentration, not anger.  
  
[Tendoo! Help me with this vat of superglue!]  
  
Same old Saotome Genma, though.  
  
******  
  
The two girls circled about on the mats, eyeing each other warily, looking for an opening. Akane was using a Kempo stance, modified for the rope. Kodora, however, had absolutely no stance, constantly in motion from one position to another in no discernible pattern.  
  
Akane took the first move, charging in with her rope swinging about wildly, too fast for the less-trained Kodora to effectively evade.  
  
So she caught it with her hand. It stung her palm slightly as it wrapped itself around her fist.  
  
Akane reacted immediately, pulling the rope in an overhead swing, which took Kodora cleanly off of the ground, flinging her far up, and in an arc that would likely leave her outside the ring. There were several depressed sounds from the crowd at an apparent quick ending.  
  
Kodora smirked, hoop held out behind/above her, and spun, unwinding the rope from her hand before reaching the perigree, leaving her flying up into the air above the ring. As it was, her trajectory would still take her out of the ring, but she had something else in mind.  
  
Kodora stopped her spin by flinging the hoop out over the audience. This also lost the light girl enough of her momentum. As Akane tossed the rope to one side and called for her clubs, Kodora landed on the top rope with one foot.  
  
Akane caught the clubs and immediately launched into another charge. To her surprise, the hoop had arced around, and Kodora caught it as she jumped up, tossing it downwards. Akane bounced off of the ropes, and when she tried to regain her balance, she stepped on the hoop, causing the other end to swivel up and smack her lightly in the back of the head. Classic step- on-the-rake. Kodora landed in the middle of the ring a second later, and immediately began dodging the furious assault Akane was mounting with the clubs, a series of straight-strikes with the weighted batons.  
  
Akane pressed her advantage, forcing Kodora backwards a few steps. Not wanting to be backed against the side of the ring, the smaller girl tucked into a reverse somersault, trading a few strikes to her lower legs for some breathing room.  
  
Kodora pulled out of the somersault and winced slightly as she called for two balls.  
  
Ranma, incapable of being a distant observer, noted to himself that Akane actually had quite a bit of raw strength, although Kodora seemed quite adept at ignoring pain when she so chose.  
  
Indeed, as Kodora flung the first ball at Akane, she moved as though her legs had been untouched, despite the slight bruise already visible. Akane smacked the first ball away with her clubs, then looked at Kodora slightly puzzled, wondering where the other ball was. She didn't have very long to wonder.  
  
With an audible SMAKK!, the ball, which Kodora had thrown while Akane was occupied, struck her hard in the legs. Much harder than she had expected from her slight opponent.  
  
Kodora crouched slightly to pick up the other ball, which had rolled near her.  
  
She spoke the first sentence of the match. "I like dodgeball. FIVE BALLS!"  
  
Then the ball she held was speeding towards Akane.  
  
Akane, still processing the idea of dodgeball skills into her sister's abilities, dodged left as Kodora caught the first ball Noriko had passed, and immediately flung it high, forcing her to duck. The second ball came in low, and Akane barely managed to hop it. The third skimmed the top of her head as she peaked her jump, the fourth caught her in the stomach, hard. Even as she bent over, the fifth, spiked by a high-jumping Kodora, hit the ground and bounced up into Akane's chin, landing like an uppercut.  
  
Akane, slightly out of breath and dizzy, barely managed to turn her fall into a roll that took her up against the ropes. She hoped the world would stop spinning soon so she could get to her feet right. On instinct, Akane let go of the top rope and somersaulted forward as Kodora flung one of the balls she had retrieved, the other already pulled back for another throw. The ball came zooming in low, straight at Akane.  
  
WHAMMMM!  
  
Kodora had just enough time to blink before the ball smacked her dead in the face, and it was her turn to clutch onto the ropes.  
  
Sincerely glad she hadn't needed vision correction since Joining Ranma, Kodora opened one eye to see Akane lower her fist from the punch as she got up.  
  
That would probably be it for the balls for now, each knew just how well the other could use them.  
  
Kodora rubbed her face as she stood straight. That had stung quite a bit.  
  
Akane took advantage of the opportunity to gain a few deep breaths. Kodora definitely had a throwing arm.  
  
The smaller girl winced as her 'elder sister' regained her breath. She'd forgotten herself and gotten a little too serious for a moment. She walked over to Akane, but the other girl looked up, saw her coming, and held her hands up in a warding gesture.  
  
"It's okay..." Akane said to Kodora's dismayed expression. "I got carried away too..."  
  
******  
  
Kodachi, in the audience, sat and fumed. Not only did she have no control over who she would wind up fighting, but she'd lost a bet to that vile mercenary, Nabiki Tendoo.  
  
She didn't understand why neither of the Tendoo sisters had agreed to let her help them. This battle would be already over if they had, the rigged equipment would have let one gain an early advantage with a serious snowball effect.  
  
At least she was getting to see their methods.  
  
Or would have, if this damned panda hadn't accidentally glued everyone near it to their seats. And why on earth had the hairy beast chosen to sit in front of HER??  
  
******  
  
Kodora sighed in relief and backed off slightly.  
  
Akane nodded to her. "Win by removal from the ring?"  
  
Kodora nodded back. "Sounds good to me."  
  
There were two weapon calls, and they were at it again, Akane having skipped the hoop (she had learned that she really REALLY sucked with it.).  
  
Akane was now using the ribbon, while Kodora had switched to the rope.  
  
Akane frowned slightly. No matter how she looped the ribbon to circumvent the shield provided by the rapidly spinning and lashing rope, Kodora would always bat it solidly away. In her hands, the rope was as a solid weapon from its momentum, never ceasing in motion, though she held it in only one hand, folded at half length.  
  
Akane gave up her assault, twirling the ribbon in a lazy spiral around herself, set to block any attack her sister made with the rope. Much to Akane's surprise, Kodora immediately lashed out with the rope, letting go of one end, and the other flung out and wrapped itself in a tangle with the ribbon. With a swift yank, Kodora tried to rip the ribbon from Akane's grasp, but Akane had already braced herself, with both hands on the handle of the ribbon. Kodora shifted, and began pulling with her legs. Inexorably, Akane was being dragged towards her.  
  
Several of the boys from Furinkan gasped to see Akane being straight out out-powered in any way at all by anyone short of a nine-hundred-pound gorilla or perhaps that panda over there.  
  
However, Kodora's legs were only so long. Once she reached full stretch, she would have to lose her grip on the mat with both feet to re-brace herself to pull further. Plus, her shoulder was starting to hurt a lot.  
  
"BALL!" she shouted out. Catching it with her free hand, she bounced it high off the mat. Letting go of the rope, she spun. Akane stumbled back as the force she was bracing against disappeared. She saw in slo-mo as Kodora spun around once, leg extended and slightly back. The ball hit position just as Kodora swung her leg hard for a bit of extra force.  
  
Akane could see as the ball changed shape, almost to bursting, from the force of the kick. She couldn't move but in slo-mo as well, her feet slowly gaining her balance back. She could tell, as the ball, deformed into an oblong by it's speed, rushed towards her, that she couldn't get her balance back in time to dodge it. So she pulled her legs out from under herself, and fell. Time went back to normal with a snap.  
  
Kodora snapped the ribbon Noriko had just tossed her taut between her hands, then gaped. The ball she had kicked had caught the top rope, which had thrown it back at her just as hard as she had kicked it in the first place. She started to bend backwards, keeping the ribbon in guard position. There was a second snap as the ball broke through the ribbon. She continued to limbo, trying desperately to get out of the way of her own projectile gone awry.  
  
It didn't quite work. The ball sped on, barely hindered by the ribbon, and smacked her in the center of the chest, flinging her the remaining half the width of the ring into the ropes. The ball itself deflected into the air, spinning at incredible speed, moving in a shallow arc that ended in the face of a panda. The force was enough to rip the panda's fur out of it's butt, as the beast fell backwards off the seat that it's fur was still stuck to.  
  
There was a desperate "AAAAA-" that cut short as the panda landed on Kodachi.  
  
Kodora got up. That was it. Her ribbon was broken, she had one last weapon to call on. Akane, too, had only one remaining thing she hadn't used yet.  
  
"CLUBS!"  
  
"BALL!"  
  
Most of the people in the audience gaped at Kodora's clubs. Specially made, they were really mostly just a pair of sticks. They were only slightly wider at the end than at the handle, and smooth all along. They were also made of heavy plastic.  
  
Akane caught the ball as she jumped up, and spiked it towards Kodora. Kodora crossed her arms over herself, each arm holding it's club wide to the other side of her body.  
  
"DONKI HASAMI!" (Blunt Scissors)  
  
She brought the clubs in wide swings, and they met each other at the base as they caught the ball with a heavy blow on both sides at once.  
  
The inflated ball, being made of rubber, gave in and popped.  
  
Akane blinked. That was new. Yumi hadn't told her about that one. Akane glanced at her corner, who shrugged. Apparently, Kodora had pulled that one from thin air.  
  
Akane decided to fight fire with fire, and switched back to her clubs.  
  
******  
  
A very large panda that had been slumped on the row of seats behind it sat up, very suddenly paying close attention to the match.  
  
Kodachi slumped out of her seat, took a breath of sweet, sweet air at last, and passed out.  
  
******  
  
Souun looked surprised. "A new technique? She invented that on her own?" He muttered to himself.  
  
The only person he'd known who'd done that before was Genma.... And he'd gone on to create two very powerful sets of highly advanced moves, eventually.  
  
******  
  
Somewhere in a mountain range, a storm was occuring. The shrine in the Tendoo Dojo shook, but did not fall. Noone was watching it, there would have been no point.  
  
A lightning bolt struck a rock covered in paper wards. The boulder shattered, and half fell into the hole it had sat in front of.  
  
There was a muffled "Ouch!" from inside the hole.  
  
An avalange triggered, burying the hole.  
  
Ryoga, standing on top of the mountain, threw another pebble off, thought a moment, and then continued on, umbrella held carefully overhead.  
  
******  
  
The battle had become a fast, furious set of countered club-strikes. Twice now Kodora had used the Donki Hasami to break the head off of one or the other of Akane's clubs. Yumi didn't have any more to throw.  
  
Kodora had taken her share of hits each time she had focused for the special attack, though. She needed to get Akane out of the ring before her opponent could land too many more blows, and the Blunt Scissors just weren't cutting it.  
  
Pun intended.  
  
Kodora upped her speed, sacrificing all form of power to execute a flurry of rapid blows. She had used this in the past to tickle people. It dropped all accuracy and power for sheer speed, allowing her to strike an area she chose beforehand with a set of totally random strikes. She was used to doing it bare-handed, and contacting with just her fingers.  
  
Akane let go of one club as the hand holding it took several hits in the space of a second.  
  
Then, Kodora had it.  
  
Dropping her clubs, she rolled forward, spinning midway through the somersault. She hoped Akane would forgive her for this. She unrolled backwards, ramming into Akane with her back. Her sister stumbled, dropping the other club. Kodora grabbed Akane's still-outstretched hand, and rolled forwards again, taking Akane with her. Akane, surprised, wasn't able to shift her center of balance far enough, and flew in a short arc over Kodora that terminated in a surprisingly soft landing on the mat. Kodora kept rolling, however, mashing her sister slightly into the mat. Her feet landed on Akane's belly, and she kept up the somersault, pulling Akane up above her again. As Akane continued through the air, Kodora planted her back on the mat, and her feet in Akane's gut, legs bent.  
  
"HA!" she grunted, letting go of Akane's hand, and shoving with her feet for all she was worth.  
  
Akane went flying. Reaching out with one hand, she managed to snag the top rope, but that was all. The grip caused her to pivot about it, and slam into the side of the ring. She fell to the floor outside the ring as she reflexively let go of the rope at the impact.  
  
Kodora got up, rubbing her tail, which was tied around her waist again. Those rolls hadn't been easy on it.  
  
The referee walked up to her, but she waved the taller girl off. Kodora bowed to the audience, who were cheering wildly, and walked over to the edge of the ring. She lay down and poked her torso over the edge, looking down at Akane.  
  
Akane had a huge grin on her face. "You realize, if I'd gone all out, you would have lost."  
  
Kodora grinned. "Sure you would Akane. The Donki Hasami really wouldn't have hurt at all if it hit you. Not in the least."  
  
Akane reached out, grabbed Kodora by the shoulders, and pulled.  
  
"ACK!" Squeaked the smaller girl, as her sister pulled her into a tickle- fight.  
  
Some of the audience kept cheering, some said "Awwwww...", and others looked mildly sick at the display of sibling affection.  
  
The Tendoo clan just smiled.  
  
And so, in the end, neither was more willing to sacrifice the other for their own sake.  
  
The answer to the question is that the question is not applicable.  
  
Both merely did their best, and enjoyed it.  
  
And it was good.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Okay, notes time!  
  
I hope you like the way I did the fight scene.  
  
So, Kodora now has a special technique. A new one. The Donki Hasami. What else will she and Ranma come up with?  
  
Particularly, what will she pull out to use against the Black Rose?  
  
Good question.  
  
As to the review suggesting that Ranma marry Kodora...  
  
Okay, that's kinda a wierd idea. 'Specially since it doesn't leave either of them free to marry anyone else.  
  
And it's kinda gross, considering that they consider each other brother and sister, as well.  
  
And what on earth WOULD they do for a honeymoon?  
  
No, that's just too, too strange.  
  
Tell me where you got what you're smoking, so I can STAY AWAY from there.  
  
Okay, so it's not that wierd an idea, but still....  
  
Hmm... what else...  
  
Oh, yeah! I'm still looking for someone who's willing to give all of my fanfiction a home on their website. Please?  
  
That includes my Mega Man X piece that I'm also working on right now.  
  
That's all for now!  
  
Ja ne!  
  
**  
  
Los Angeles... He walks again by night.  
  
(We hear a man walking and whistling over a foghorn.)  
  
Out of the fog, into the smog.  
  
(Coughing.)  
  
Relentlessly.  
  
Ruthelessly.  
  
("I wonder where Ruth is?")  
  
Doggedly.  
  
(Dogs barking. "Hey! Get away from me!")  
  
Toward his weekly meeting with...  
  
The Unknown!!  
  
At 4th and Drucker, he turns left.  
  
At Drucker and 4th, he turns right!  
  
He crosses McArthur Park and walks into a great sandstone building!  
  
(Smak! "Ow! My nose!")  
  
Groping for the door, he steps inside.  
  
Climbs the thirteen steps into his office.  
  
(Old phone begins to ring.)  
  
He walks in!  
  
He's ready for mystery!  
  
(Door opening and shutting.)  
  
He's ready for excitement!  
  
He's ready for anything!  
  
(Walking and whistling finally stops.)  
  
He's...  
  
(Phone picked up.)  
  
"Nick Danger, Third Eye."  
  
"Uh, I wanna order a, uh, pizza to go, and no anchovies."  
  
"No anchovies? You've got the wrong man. I spell my name: Danger!"  
  
(Phone hung up.)  
  
"What?"  
  
-Excerpt, "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger", Firesign Theatre. 


	29. Book Four, Chapter 3: The MFP and the Se...

Kodora and Akane walked side by side back to the Tendoo Dojo, bracketed forwards and backwards by their sisters and the fathers, respectively. Both of them were relatively cheerful.  
  
This had Nabiki slightly miffed. Normally, if Akane had lost...  
  
She was still waiting for Akane to pull out her mallet.  
  
On the other hand... it was a good thing the two of them were finally getting along. So, she dropped that thought. There was something more important to get to, anyways. She slowed down until she was walking with Akane and Kodora.  
  
Akane looked over at her. "What is it, oneechan?"  
  
"I'd like to talk with Kodora-chan, imootochan. Alone."  
  
Akane frowned slightly. "I don't think that's-"  
  
"Also," Nabiki continued, "Kasumi-oneechan wants to talk to you. Something about how nice you're controlling your temper."  
  
Kodora blinked. When had Akane gotten that fast?  
  
"Ah. Good." Stated Nabiki, watching Akane, who was suddenly walking next to Kasumi. "Now, then, Kodora-imootochan, there are a few things we need to talk about..."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 26: The MFP, and the Seigensakudoken.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Selene Starblade.  
  
Dedicated to Magic: the Gathering, a good game if there ever was one.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own most of these characters, but the ones I do are MINE. And you can't use them unless I say so, so NYAAAAAH!  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
* * = Ranma/Kodora mental conversation.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Kodora looked up at the distinctly taller girl. "Like?"  
  
"Well," Began Nabiki, "First off, I've got you a birth certificate, an adoption certificate, a government-recognised identity, and enrolled in Furinkan High, in the Sophomore class with Akane and Ranma."  
  
Kodora piku-piku'ed. "I thought there were no Sophomore classes in Japanese high schools?"  
  
Nabiki gave her a dry look. "And you never noticed this discrepancy before?"  
  
Kodora shrugged. "Ranma seemed to know what he was doing. At that point, I was just along for the ride, so to speak."  
  
Nabiki sighed, and looked back to a notepad she held in one hand. "Well, just so you know, the Furinkan ward is set up a little oddly, even for Nerima. The schools here are divided between grades like American schools."  
  
The small martial artist nodded. "Okay. Great to hear that. So, what's next?"  
  
Nabiki handed her a small envelope.  
  
Kodora blinked, and began to open it, but Nabiki held out a hand, and she stopped, looking to the older girl.  
  
"That's your allowance, Imooto-chan. Each member of our family gets a specific allowance according to how much they do around the house, or that increases our family funds, directly or inderectly. That includes jobs, things that I can run betting pools on, and such."  
  
Kodora nodded slowly. "Okay.... so there was betting on the match earlier today?"  
  
Nabiki nodded. "Of course. By the way, I myself don't bet on things within the family, and if it involves any of us, I always bet on our family."  
  
Kodora nodded a bit more enthusiastically. "That's very supportive of you."  
  
The taller of the two Tendoos smiled slightly. "Thank you. I like to think so. Speaking of the match..."  
  
"..yes?"  
  
"There are a few things you need to change before the fight tomorrow."  
  
"And they are?"  
  
"Well," began Nabiki, consulting her notes and squinting a little. "You know the rules in Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts forbid striking an opponent barehanded?"  
  
Kodora nodded.  
  
"That includes grapples, throws, and even what you did when you rolled over Akane. You can't do things like that in the match tomorrow."  
  
"A... heh...." Kodora piped in, nervously.  
  
"Second off, you'll want to watch what you're doing a little more carefully. Luckily that ball only hit panda-man back there, but if it had gone into the audience in a slightly different spot, someone could have gotten seriously hurt. That wouldn't be good at all."  
  
The petite martial artist nodded. "Yeah. I was planning to work on that sort of thing."  
  
Nabiki nodded back. "Finally, you'll have to watch out with the balls themselves. Some inside information says that Kodachi favors explosive ones."  
  
Kodora blinked, and nearly stopped walking. "What?!?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. Keep in mind, this is the same person who snuck into the house and tried to disable both you and Akane-imootochan."  
  
"Hmmm...."  
  
******  
  
Kodora sat silently in the dojo. Although the silence was only external.  
  
*So, you're saying that when ya moved your hands like that, that was some kinda special technique or somethin'?*  
  
*Yep. You see, Ranma, a couple of times I got into tickle fights. And I'm extremely ticklish. As in, tickle me too much, and I can't even breathe, I laugh so hard. You probably noticed me using that during the tickle fight with Akane.*  
  
*Yeah, actually, I did. Kinda wierd. Ya put alla your focus on movin' your hands fast. No control or nothin'.*  
  
*That's kind of the point, Ranma. See, it works like this. If I go for any power or control, it takes more time, and you can either dodge or block the attack, right? But if I go really fast, so fast even I don't know where I'm going to strike next, I certainly can't give my moves away. Mind, it's not really, really fast, but it's enough to be useful. I call it the MFP, or 'Million Finger Poke'.*  
  
*Okay, and this relates to martial arts how?*  
  
*Well, consider this, Ranma. When you use your chi to enhance a blow or something like that, can you use it to make the blow faster?*  
  
*Yeah. Wait, you mean yer gonna try using chi to speed it up?*  
  
Kodora nodded. *Exactly. I saw something like it in a video game called 'Street Fighter'. One guy, E. Honda, had this 'Hundred Hand Slap' thing where he seemed to grow a couple extra hands 'coz he was slapping so fast. Another one of 'em, Chun Li, could do the same sort of thing, but with kicks.*  
  
*Ah. I get it. So you need me to what, now?*  
  
*I need you to tell me how you focus your chi into your hands and feet for faster blows.*  
  
*Uh... that's kinda hard.*  
  
*Whatcha mean?*  
  
*Well, it's not like I can explain it. Kinda like asking someone how you take a deep breath. You don't really think about it. You just think about breathing, and you do.*  
  
*Oh. One of THOSE things. Thank you!*  
  
*You're welcome.*  
  
Ranma paused mentally. *Wait a minnit. I didn't do anything!*  
  
Kodora chuckled, and stood up. *Yes you did. You told me how to focus the chi. You didn't realize you were, but you did. Kind of like how you were explaining it was done.*  
  
*I'm lost.*  
  
Kodora giggled. *Quite alright Ranma. No need to find your way about that now. Now... to practice it, I'll need a target that moves like a person....*  
  
******  
  
Kodora stepped into the kitchen where Akane and Souun were watching Kasumi do something with the oven. She smelled the air.  
  
"Mmmm.... What's cooking?"  
  
Akane turned her head. "Oneechan is making cookies!"  
  
Kasumi continued her work.  
  
Kodora smiled broader. "Great. I'm going to need a snack. 'Toosan?"  
  
Souun turned to look at Kodora. "Yes, Kodora-chan?"  
  
"I want to try something with martial arts, but I need someone to practice it on, could you help me?"  
  
"Can I help?"  
  
Souun and Kodora blinked, and looked at Akane.  
  
"Are you sure you want to, Oneechan? You already had to have a match with me earlier today..."  
  
Akane nodded and smiled. "I'll be fine. I wanna see what you came up with. And maybe you could teach me that move you used this morning?"  
  
Kodora returned the smile. "If we have time, I'll try. 'Toosan, could you come too?"  
  
Souun nodded and got up. "Of course." Then he took up a silly stance, complete with a bat-hood. "To the Tendoo Dojo, Tendoo-girls!"  
  
******  
  
"Okay." Said Kodora, facing Akane on the mats. Both of them were wearing white gi, Akane with a black belt, Kodora with a white belt. "Just try to block all of my strikes. I'm going to be shooting for speed, okay?"  
  
Akane nodded. "Okay. Let's see what you can do."  
  
Souun, sitting under the I-Ro-Ha sign, watched, trying to figure out what, exactly, his youngest daughter was trying to work on.  
  
Kodora began, lashing out with the first two fingers on either hand, first at about two strikes a second. Akane blocked the strikes easily. She was about to ask why her sister was going so slowly, when Kodora began to increase the speed. Almost immediately, Kodora switched to four strikes per second. Akane was still able to block, but it was close on a few strikes. She noticed that none of the strikes had any real power behind them.  
  
Kodora took a deep breath, and shouted out: MILLION FINGER POKE!  
  
Instantly, her hand speed tripled, but it only lasted as long as the shout. That was enough though, Akane knew Kodora had tagged her at least ten times, probably more. Kodora slowly wound down her speed.  
  
She leaned forward, bracing her hands on her bent knees, breathing a bit heavily.  
  
Akane blinked, and put her hands down from guard position. "Wow. That was pretty fast."  
  
Souun nodded. "You just came up with this?"  
  
Kodora shook her head. "Iie. I've been able to do that for years. Though, it is a bit faster now than it used to be."  
  
Akane and Souun blink-blinked.  
  
"So," began Akane, "What did you need us for?"  
  
"Well," Said Kodora, standing straight again, breathing back to normal, "Did you notice anything about what I did?"  
  
Akane blinked. "Um, you didn't aim, and didn't put any strength into it?"  
  
Kodora nodded. "That's two things. But the most important one, you didn't notice. 'Toosan?"  
  
Souun hazarded a guess. "You didn't keep moving while you did it?"  
  
Kodora shook her head. "No, that's not it."  
  
"It used a lot of shoulder motion?"  
  
"That's not it either."  
  
"It's name was in English?"  
  
"Um, no."  
  
Souun stopped a moment, and went back over what had happened. Kodora had taken a deep breath, focused, and struck.  
  
Wait a minute. She didn't spend any time focusing. She'd kept striking even while taking the breath.  
  
"You didn't use any chi?"  
  
Kodora grinned a fangtoothed grin. "Bingo! So, I need one or the other of you to stand in front of me and block everything, so I can have some sort of incentive to speed up, get some help drawing on my chi. I have an idea for a technique, but it'll be actual punches instead of poking like I was doing before."  
  
Akane nodded. "Well, I guess it's Daddy's turn. That was pretty fast, and I don't feel like a beating right now."  
  
Kodora nodded in return. "'Salright. You seem to be better at power, anyways."  
  
Akane, mulling that over, sat by her father, who got up, and walked thoughtfully out onto the mats.  
  
"It's an interesting idea." Stated Souun. "I've heard of a few things like it, but I've never seen them. This should be educational for all three of us."  
  
Kasumi stepped into the dojo, and bowed to the shrine, before turning to face the others.  
  
"Ano... the cookies are ready."  
  
Kodora smiled. "Domo arigatoo, Kasumi-oneechan. I'll be there in a couple of minutes. There's something I want to try first."  
  
Kasumi blinked. "Oh? Can I watch?"  
  
Souun smiled. "Of course, Kasumi-chan. The more the merrier."  
  
As the eldest Tendoo daughter took a seat by her sister, Souun turned to the youngest.  
  
"Any time you're ready, Yoojo."  
  
Kodora nodded, and began punching at Souun, as slowly as she had started for the MFP. The tall man easily blocked or dodged the blows.  
  
"You may want to tighten up your form a little there."  
  
Kodora, still punching, shook her head. "Iie. I need to stay loose, or else I can't even concentrate." She began to speed up, slower than before. After half a minute, she reached the speed she had attained before using the MFP. Carefully, she began to focus on her arms, attempting to imbue more and more of her chi into them. She stopped punching for a moment, then shouted the chosen name for her technique.  
  
"SEIGENSAKUDOKEN!!!" She cried, letting fly with a flurry of punches maybe twice as fast as the MFP. Her arms seemed to blur slightly as she punched, from the speed of her motion. When she finished the flurry, she and her father stared at each other for a moment.  
  
Then both fell on their butts, sitting on the mats. Kodora was breathing heavily, and wished the room would stop spinning. Souun was rubbing his abdomen, where he was getting the feeling of having a bowling ball, oh, say, ten pounds, thrown into him.  
  
He smiled slightly. Kodora definitely showed a lot of promise.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Ha ha ha. Let's see what happens when the Speed Limit Fist (Seigensakudoken) meets the Broiled Sweet Chestnut Fist (Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken).  
  
Anyways...  
  
Next ep, the battle of children! Ko vs. Ko, tiger child (kodora) versus a stand of trees (kodachi). So who will win? And how?  
  
And what about the explosive balls?  
  
Not to mention Ryoga and the Amazons! They didn't even show up in this chapter! So, where are they? And when will they show up?  
  
And what about Genma? What does he (try to) think about all this?  
  
And Tatewaki?  
  
What about Isshii-sensei?  
  
And Ranma's classmates?  
  
Will I ever stop asking questions?  
  
Be here next time for the answer, whenever I get around to writing them!  
  
Ja ne!  
  
"Now you may find it inconceivable or at the very least a bit unlikely that the relative position of the planets and the stars could have a special deep significance or meaning that exclusively applies to only you, but let me give you my assurance that these forecasts and predictions are all based on solid, scientific, documented evidence, so you would have to be some kind of moron not to realize that every single one of them is absolutely true.  
  
Where was I?"  
  
-Wierd Al Yankovic, "Your Horoscope For Today", from  
  
the album "Running With Scissors". 


	30. Book Four, Chapter 4: All Too Serious

::Cue MMX1 Intro Stage music::  
  
::Megaman runs onscreen, followed by a green-armored female reploid bearing a distinct resemblance to him::  
  
::flash two names, 'Megaman X', and 'Kimiko'::  
  
::Kodora pops up::  
  
Kodora: That's right. Selene Starblade Alternate Universe Productions brings you the fanfiction 'Light's Shade'!  
  
::X and Kimiko keep running, joined by Zero::  
  
Kodora (in front of scene shown): Join X, Zero, and Kimiko as they try yet again to defeat the evil Sigma once and for all. With an all new cast of supporting characters!  
  
::The ground begins to shake, and the camera zooms out some, revealing a few other reploids following the three main heroes::  
  
Kodora: Turk.  
  
::camera momentarily zooms in on a large triceratops-reploid, colored red and yellow::  
  
Kodora: Stamp Apatasaurus.  
  
::camera zooms back out, then zooms in (slightly) onto a truly huge apatasaurus-reploid, mostly in greens and browns, the ground happens to be shaking in time to his steps::  
  
Kodora: And, of course, the Mavericks!  
  
::a series of Maverick Generals flash on screen, too fast to identify them::  
  
Kodora: All this, and more, in Light's Shade! Playing now on the FF.net website!  
  
Announcer-guy, really really fast: Light's Shade found in the Megaman subcategory, Games category on the website Fanfiction.net. All characters who are property of Capcom are used without permission, come on, it's a fanfic for crying out loud. Don't sue me. Please don't sue me. And now, back to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.  
  
::screen goes black, there is a crash::  
  
Megaman and Zero: Oww! My head!  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger  
  
Chapter 27: All Too Serious.  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade  
  
Dedicated to Megaman X and the pursuit of Jelly Doughnuts. (Don't ask.)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them unless I do. And if you're not smart enough to figure out which is which, how the heck are you reading this?  
  
Key:  
  
= English  
  
" " = Japanese  
  
{ } = Chinese  
  
[ ] = Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs  
  
* * = Mental conversation between Ranma and Kodora  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Kodora walked slowly down the aisle of the gym, towards the clear area in the center. This was it. Noriko walked beside her, carrying the equipment, a towel draped across her neck, wearing a sweatsuit.  
  
Her sisters walked three abreast behind them. Akane had a handmade flag reading 'Krdmne sm fbm lmuk.'  
  
Kodora could forgive her the poor quality of the embroidery. The thought was everything.  
  
Nabiki held a good-sized strongbox. She was betting everything she could spare, and handling other peoples' bets. She'd need it.  
  
Her smallest sister appreciated the trust that she would win.  
  
Kasumi carried nothing in her hands, no sign of support. But there was a wide, hopeful smile on her face.  
  
It meant more to the petite martial artist than a thousand banners.  
  
Behind the three Tendoos strode a man and a panda. Both had stoic looks on.  
  
Kodora thought the panda's looked funny, but her adoptive father's... She could see his pride in and hope for her through it.  
  
But in her mind was the most important thing of all.  
  
*You can do it, sis. I know you're better than her. Just do your best, and you'll win.*  
  
She smiled as she stepped up to the side of the ring.  
  
*I will do my best, Ranma. But winning is not important. I will do my best, and everyone shall see whether or not that is enough. And that is all.*  
  
Ranma sighed mentally. *You don't think you'll win?*  
  
Kodora hopped up onto the side of the ring, grabbing the rope with both hands, feet planted on the edge of the mat.  
  
*I don't care if I win. To me, personally, it means nothing. But everyone is counting on me to. I can see that. So I will do my best.*  
  
* I guess it's gotta do, imootochan. I guess it's gotta do.*  
  
Kodora slipped between the bottom two ropes, and into the ring. She walked to the center, where the referee was waiting. Her leotard was a simple green, and her tail was again tied in place around her waist like a furry belt.  
  
Kodachi mirrored her, walking to the center of the ring. The younger Kuno had thought long and hard about this. Supposedly, this girl was really something. Too soon, though, she would learn not to play with roses.  
  
She would win. There was no question in her mind. Noone could possibly avoid everything she had in store.  
  
"In this corner..." The referee began, gesturing with her empty hand to the corner nearest Kodachi, "From St. Hebereke's School for Girls, the reigning champion, KUNOOOOOO KODACHIIIIIIIIII!"  
  
There was cheering.  
  
******  
  
Tatewaki, sitting in the audience, muttered to himself (rather loudly), "Ah, my sister! Woe, but I cannot cheer for thee. You face my true love in battle. Yet, I cannot cheer against you. Thus, I shall simply observe! So shall it be written, so shall it be done!"  
  
Several girls nearby began whispering.  
  
"It's Kodachi's big brother!"  
  
"Did you hear that!"  
  
"Wow... What a hunk....."  
  
Daisuke leaned over to Hiroshi.  
  
"Ignorance is bliss, eh, 'Roshi?"  
  
Hiroshi nodded. "At least he considers himself taken already, so they won't go totally nuts."  
  
Several girls began offering to clean Kuno's bokken, give him their snacks, or possibly buy him some food after the match.  
  
Hiroshi sweated. "Then again...."  
  
******  
  
"And in this corner..." The referee continued, switching hands, "The winner of yesterday's pre-match bout, from Furinkan High, the challenger, TENDOOOOOOOO KODORAAAAAAAA!"  
  
The cheering was somewhat subdued, many people shooting nervous glances at Kodachi, who was glaring about the gym.  
  
"Combatants to the center!"  
  
Kodachi and Kodora took a step forward each, putting them in front of the referee.  
  
"Now-" Stated the referee, taking Kodora and Kodachi by the wrists, "-shake hands."  
  
Suddenly, Kodachi pulled her hand away and pointed behind Kodora.  
  
"What on earth is that?"  
  
The referee, the corners, and everyone else in the gym looked.  
  
There was a clanking sound.  
  
Everyone looked back at Kodachi and Kodora.  
  
Kodora was smirking at Kodachi.  
  
Kodachi was looking surprised. Kodora hadn't fallen for it at all. Her opponent was brighter than she looked, it seemed.  
  
Kodachi was in the unenviable position of having just used her left hand to clamp a manacle around her very own right wrist, having not expected Kodora to pull her arm in the way.  
  
The manacle was attatched to a chain.  
  
The chain was attatched to....  
  
A twenty-pound weight. (You were expecting a green rabbit, weren't you.)  
  
The taller girl frowned, and pulled a key from the cleavage of her rose- decorated leotard, using it to unlock the manacle. She let it fall, and the manacle closed on nothing, locking again. Kodachi looked at her opponent as she threw the key from the ring. She snorted, and walked to her corner.  
  
Kodora, still smirking, walked to hers. Reaching down, she recieved the two balls Noriko was passing to her. She straightened and turned, to face Kodachi, who held two clubs in one hand, and was swinging a rope in the other. She noted that the other girl swung the rope slowly, keeping it stiff and straight.  
  
The announcer, at a table next to the judges, held up her microphone. "Today's event, Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics! The rules- No time limit, no bare-handed blows, the match ends when one contestant forefeits, is unconscious, or is knocked from the ring!"  
  
******  
  
Nabiki jumped in her seat, and took out the rulebook. She thumbed quickly to the part labeled 'winning conditions'.  
  
Nabiki read, and began to sweat. "I wasn't expecting this....."  
  
She looked up at the ring. "I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means....."  
  
******  
  
^DINGGGG!^  
  
"ELEVEN BALLS!" Shouted Kodora, immediately flinging one, then the other, of the two she had already.  
  
Noriko began throwing balls around Kodora in a pre-set pattern. She hoped briefly that this would work like they had planned.  
  
**  
  
Kodachi swatted the first two balls aside with the rope, then the next three as they came in in a loose pattern around her. The next one she had to hop, and she twisted midair to dodge the seventh. As she landed, an eighth came at her head, but she blocked it with the pins. She stopped a moment, as the barrage seemed to have ended, then jumped back.  
  
The ninth and tenth ball smacked into each other right where Kodachi had been a moment ago, after ricocheting off of the ropes.  
  
**  
  
Kodora landed from her short hop. It was risky, she knew, but she had to give it a shot.  
  
"RIBBON AND SILK!"  
  
**  
  
Kodachi looked forward, and things seemed to drop into slow motion. The eleventh ball, deformed by its speed, was hurtling straight towards her. She dodged to the side, swinging at it with the rope.  
  
Life dropping out of slow-motion goes 'WHANNNNG!'  
  
The ball soared into the air, headed well over the head of her opponent.  
  
It was caught by a ribbon swung into the air, even as Kodachi felt something wrap around her ankle. She didn't have time to look down as Kodora's second ribbon pulled hard, yanking Kodachi's foot out from under her. The tall girl twisted around as she fell, and lashed out at the ribbon with one club. There was a soft 'spanng' sound as the spikes emerged, puncturing the ribbon.  
  
**  
  
Kodora was having trouble. She needed to slow the ball by spinning it, and she needed to keep Kodachi off-balance so she would have enough time to do it.  
  
The first ribbon unwound swiftly, and the ball left in a short arc, bouncing down one aisle. Even as the ball parted with the ribbon, the second ribbon gave.  
  
**  
  
Kodachi tossed aside the now-bent steel-rod-disguised-as-a-rope, and caught the second club in that hand.  
  
**  
  
"AND WHAT AN EXCHANGE! The challenger seems to have been trying to keep the champion off-balance, and to all appearances, it's worked! But one of the challenger's two ribbons has been broken, and is no longer usable! Now it's ribbon versus clubs!"  
  
Kodachi snarled, spiraling in towards Kodora, and dodging the smaller girl's ribbon-strikes. "You little cheat! Noone upends the Black Rose and gets away with it!"  
  
So saying, she began striking out with the clubs.  
  
Kodora dodged the head blows.  
  
Then, on one strike, there was a sound.  
  
It went 'poing'.  
  
"Ike!" Kodora yipped, immediately falling into a backwards somersault away from Kodachi. The taller girl followed, pressing the advantage. And the secret buttons on the sides of the club handles.  
  
**  
  
"Referee!" Shouted Noriko, "That club has spikes!"  
  
Kodachi let up for a moment, displaying smooth, blunt clubs for the referee's view.  
  
The ref shrugged. "I don't see any spikes."  
  
Noriko frowned.  
  
**  
  
Standing out of the roll, Kodora dropped her ribbon and leaped to one side, narrowly avoiding a pair of club-strikes.  
  
Kodachi paused, sniffing. "You can do better than that. HOOP!"  
  
Kodachi's corner passed her a hula hoop, which the dark-haired girl spun lazily about one upraised wrist.  
  
Kodora frowned. "HOOP!" She caught the tool solidly in one hand.  
  
Kodachi smirked. "Insolent girl. You have knocked me down once already. I, the Black Rose, shall PUNISH YOU!" She punctuated the statement by hopping into the air, flinging her hoop.  
  
Even as she moved, Kodora hauled back, twisting. The small girl straightened, flinging her own hoop like a frisbee.  
  
The two hoops met, mirror images of each other.  
  
Then one of them split in two. Kodora paled, and hit the mat, the razor- edged hoop embedding itself in the surface a foot behind her.  
  
Kodachi almost began laughing, but had to twist to dodge the pair of hoops now nearing her. The remains of Kodora's hoop spun lazily off over the crowd, until they were caught.  
  
Kodora got up, sweating. "What are you trying to do, kill me?!?"  
  
Kodachi smirked. "Would you have dodged it anyways?"  
  
Kodora nodded warily.  
  
"Then it is all fine."  
  
Kodora glared. If that sort of weapon had drifted off into the crowd....  
  
She reached out with her foot, snagging her ribbon, and transferred it to her hand.  
  
Kodachi smirked. "So you want to play with ribbons, do you? Fine." She caught her own weapon.  
  
**  
  
The announcer gaped as Kodachi snagged the bell off the table.  
  
**  
  
"Catch!"  
  
^And Kodachi tries a bell assault!^  
  
Kodora ducked, and Kodachi swung the bell around again. It became an airborne object as the ribbon unwrapped from it, and flew out, hitting the small girl in the gut. Kodora went down hard.  
  
^The judges declare a bell a legal weapon!^  
  
Kodora cringed as she got back up. That had hurt. A lot. She snarled, baring her fangs at Kodachi. So she wanted to have a bout of object flinging, eh?  
  
Kodachi lashed out into the audience area again.  
  
^And the champion snags a CHAIR!!^  
  
Kodora leaped the improvised weapon, landing on one of the posts.  
  
Kodachi laughed as she brought the chair around again. "Ohohoho! The essence of Martial Rhythmic Gymnastics is the control of an endless supply of weapons! Can you keep up!"  
  
Kodora lashed out with her ribbon.  
  
^AND SHE SNAGS THE TABLE!!!! WHAT AN INNOVATION!!^  
  
Kodachi immediately spun the chair away, reaching into the audience again.  
  
^AND THE CHAMPION COUNTERS WITH HER OWN BROTHER!! The judges declare a brother a legal weapon.^  
  
Kuno and table met midair, and both lost, falling to the ground, one a mess and the other unconscious. The mess stood up. "I really do not find this befitting-"  
  
Kodachi used the ribbon to throw him at Kodora. Kuno opened his arms.  
  
Kodora panicked, and hoped her sister would forgive her.  
  
^ WHAT'S THIS? THE CHALLENGER RESPONDS TO A REPEAT BROTHER BEATING WITH A SISTER SWING! ^  
  
Akane found herself flying straight at Kuno. She took the opportunity to savor the way her foot planted itself firmly in the idiot's face. Bowing, she grabbed the back of Kuno's hakama, and dragged him from the ring.  
  
^OH MY! AND NOW THE CHAMPION IS USING A BENCH! THE CHALLENGER COUNTERS WITH ANOTHER CHAIR!^  
  
Kodora's eyebrow twitched.  
  
Kodachi lashed out one last time, snagging Sasuke from the rafters and flinging him at her opponent.  
  
^ AND THE CHAMPION PULLS OUT A NINJA ASSAULT! THE CHALLENGER-^  
  
The next girl over picked up the microphone.  
  
^The challenger responds with haste, snagging something appropriate to the challenge.^  
  
There was a hollow 'klonk' as the announcer and Sasuke met headfirst in the air, both falling to the mat half-conscious.  
  
^ The judges have declared the use of an announcer valid, and awarded bonus points.^  
  
The two noncombatants rolled off the ring. Kodachi and Kodora both hopped forward, striking back-and-forth with their ribbons in an uneven stacatto.  
  
^This is truly a battle for the ages.^ The substitute announcer stated, excited, but not shouting like the previous one. ^What skill! Neither fighter yields a single step!^  
  
Suddenly, Kodachi grinned, and made a blazing-fast sweep with her ribbon.  
  
Kodora blinked, and then gaped as her own ribbon fell into shreds. She closed her mouth with an audible snap, and narrowed her eyes. She leaped backwards, backflipping across the mat to a corner.  
  
Kodachi twirled her ribbon slowly.  
  
"ALL THE BALLS!" Both shouted simultaneously, as Kodachi dropped her ribbon.  
  
The girl at the microphone blinked. ^And it's a dodgeball war!^  
  
Balls began flying into the ring at seemingly random intervals, as the seconds ran around picking them up off the floor.  
  
Kodora was dodging the explosive balls Kodachi was throwing, avoiding the explosions, but moving so much was keeping her from mounting any reasonable counteroffense. She grimaced. It looked like she would have to take a hit to hit back.  
  
Kodachi grinned as her opponent stopped, catching a ball on crossed forearms. She stopped throwing balls as Kodora was enveloped in a disturbingly bluish cloud. The cloud slowly cleared.  
  
Kodachi began laughing long and hard. "OOOOO-HOHOHOHOHOHOHOO!!! The paralysis powder suits you! OOOOOO-HOHOHOHOHOHOOO!!"  
  
Kodora lay prone on the mat, shuddering as she tried to get up.  
  
Noriko gasped, as the judges conferred.  
  
^ Judges have declared use of paralysis powder valid....^  
  
Kodachi slowly walked towards her felled opponent.  
  
"OOOOOOO-HOHOHOHOHOoooo... Now you cannot even forfeit! You are stuck until I put you out of your misery, horrid beast!"  
  
Kodora's eyes and nostrils flared.  
  
"Take this!" Kodachi lifted a club, and brought it down on the smaller girl's back. "And this! And this! And that!"  
  
Kodora lay there, unable to react. Noriko was just about to throw the towel into the ring.  
  
Then Kodachi hit Kodora's tail. Hard.  
  
A scream of pain ripped itself free of the petite martial artist.  
  
The other three Tendoo girls and the patriarch all cringed. Kasumi looked away.  
  
Kodachi winced, then looked down at Kodora.  
  
Kodora rolled over, and leveled a fierce glare at Kodachi. Slowly, she opened her mouth, and spoke, hoarsely, her eyes hard as rubies.  
  
"You...will...pay...."  
  
Slowly, she sat up, straining all the way.  
  
Kodachi backed off slightly, wary.  
  
Kodora got to her feet, reaching down behind her. She snapped the string holding her tail in place.  
  
The audience held its breath as her tail began to lash rapidly. There was nowhere for machinery to hide. That was a real tail.  
  
Even Kodachi stared, backing off still further.  
  
A thin, crimson battle-aura began to form around Kodora. She turned her head to Noriko, and spoke a single word.  
  
"CLUBS."  
  
She caught her weapons, and began to advance on Kodachi slowly. The taller girl firmed her resolve, taking up another fallen club, to complete her own set. Kodachi sneered haughtily, holding her clubs ready.  
  
"You think you can beat me at my own best weapon? Try all you like."  
  
They began slowly, a steady clacking of club-on-club. Gradually, the speed began to increase. It crescendoed several times, slowing back down a little, then picking up speed again.  
  
Kodachi sneered again as she held position against Kodora's assault. "This is all you have? Then prepare to lose, demon. Face the secret technique of the Kuno clan! SENJU KONBO!" (one-hundred-ten clubs)  
  
Kodachi's arms blurred as she struck out at her smaller opponent.  
  
^Amazing! It looks like the champion is using twenty clubs, her hands are moving so fast!^  
  
Kodora winced at a few blows, then took a breath herself. Her aura flickered.  
  
"SEIGENSAKUDOKONBO!" ( Speed Limit Club)  
  
The announcer gaped.  
  
^But the challenger counters, and moves even faster!^  
  
Kodora held her assault firm as she advanced, pressing Kodachi back towards the ropes. Clubs began to fall from the blurs, as Kodachi dropped one, then another, then another club.  
  
Soon, a trail of twenty clubs littered the mat. With one last strike, Kodora swung an uppercut, putting her whole body behind the club. Kodachi sailed into the air, stunned.  
  
^It looks like this is it! The champion is flying from the ring!^  
  
Kodora wobbled unsteadily on her feet, but watched to be sure Kodachi would go down.  
  
Mid-arc, the taller girl shook herself out of the stun, and pulled out a whistle. She blew.  
  
Kodora fell, and tumbled to the other edge of the mat as the entire ring moved. She managed to grip the mat to keep from falling off.  
  
Kodachi tumbled mid-air and landed on her feet. "OOOHOHOHOHO!" she ooohohohoho'ed. "'Out' is an impossibility for me!"  
  
Kodora bared her teeth in a silent snarl, drawing a deep breath. This would take all she had. With a howl of effort, she pounded across the mat towards Kodachi. The offbeat gymnast laughed, grabbing up her own club.  
  
Kodora flung her arms wide, leaning forward, pushing with everything she had left.  
  
Kodachi threw her club.  
  
Kodora's aura flared.  
  
"RENSHA DONKI HASAMI HA!!!" (Rapidfire Blunt Scissors Wave)  
  
There were seven beats.  
  
One- Kodora's clubs smashed together on Kodachi's club, shattering it, then continued so her arms were crossed over her chest, clubs out to either side.  
  
Two- her hands swung forward, smashing the clubs into Kodachi's shoulders. The right-hand club bounced up, the left-hand club went over Kodora's right arm, then down.  
  
Three- the right club came down on Kodachi's head, bouncing out wide to the right.  
  
Four- the left club came up, bashing the tall girl in the chin, and bouncing wide to the left.  
  
Five- both arms wheeled, slamming the clubs down on the tops of Kodachi's shoulders.  
  
Six- the wheels continued, striking downwards on Kodachi's shoulders again as Kodora crouched.  
  
Seven- Kodora brought the clubs up in a unified uppercut blow into Kodachi's gut, lifting both of them off the mat, Kodora a few inches, Kodachi sailing into the air again, more outwards into the audience than upwards.  
  
Kodora fell to her knees, aura dissipating. She stared with a dead expression as Kodachi desperately grabbed at the top rope.  
  
And missed.  
  
And sailed into the aisle, landing roughly.  
  
^ And the winner is KODORA TENDO!^  
  
The new champion of martial arts rhythmic gymnastics fell over, unconscious.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Well. All too serious, yes?  
  
We will return you to your regularly scheduled silliness next episode with- the return of Ryoga!  
  
The appearance of Mikado and Azusa!  
  
Ice skating!  
  
Charlotte!  
  
Fishcakes!  
  
More plugola!  
  
And, to cap this one off, since there's not much fun in this chapter, a joke!  
  
Okay, there's this guy, right? And he's having trouble sleeping, because he has these strange recurring dreams. So he goes to his psych. The shrink asks what the problem is.  
  
"I'm having repeating dreams that keep me from sleeping." Answers the man.  
  
"Vhat khind off drreams?" Asks the shrink.  
  
"Well, in the first one, I'm a wigwam, and there are people living in me. It's disturbing, and feels very invasive."  
  
"Ah. I zee. And vhat iss the ssecond drream?"  
  
"It's a lot like the first. I dream that I'm a teepee, and more people are living in me. Did you know that there isn't a single part of the buffalo they don't use?"  
  
"Aha! I know vhat your prrroblem ist."  
  
So the man asks. "What is it, doc? What's giving me so much trouble?"  
  
And the doctor simply replies. "You'rrre two tents."  
  
Ahahahaha. Hilarious, huh?  
  
::ducks thrown fruit:: Okay, okay! I'm done already!  
  
Till next time! Ja ne!  
  
"Doctor, ev'ry night I have the strangest dreams!  
  
Doctor, listen to me, tell me what this means!  
  
First, I'm goin' shoppin' in my- underwear!  
  
Then, all of a sudden, I'm floating in midair!  
  
My lips fall off, and ev'rybody starts to stare!  
  
Doughnuts and hotdogs are flyin' ev'rywhere!  
  
Now, Doctor, wait a minnit, you ain't heard nothin' yet!  
  
Next comes the part that I won't ever forget!  
  
Now, I'm bein' followed by these- russian spies!  
  
They give me some Velcro and an order of fries!  
  
SU-ddenly I'm bowling on the starship Enterprise!  
  
I fall down a hole and that's when I realize I'm-  
  
Stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
I'm stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
Night after night after night after night! All right!  
  
Doctor, won'tcha tell me, am I goin' insane?  
  
Was it somethin' I ate, is somethin' wrong with my brain?  
  
See, I'm naked in church, when I meet a dinosaur!  
  
Try to run, but my feet have been nailed to the floor!  
  
Then a midget pushes me through a revolving door!  
  
And I'm back in the very same place I was before!  
  
Now I'm-  
  
Stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
I'm stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
Night after night after night after night!  
  
And I can't bust out and I can't break free!  
  
And it's gettin' just a little too stuffy here for me!  
  
And I can't go home, and I can't get loose!  
  
And I try to escape, but it's just no use!  
  
And I can't ever leave and I can't ever win!  
  
And we're runnin' outta air and the walls're closin' in!  
  
And I can't go back, and I can't get through!  
  
But, Vanna, since you're here-  
  
Why don'tcha let me by a vowel from you?  
  
(Insert Guitar Solo Here)  
  
Doctor, all those crazy dreams have started again!  
  
THAT'S RIGHT! I even wake up screamin' now and then!  
  
See, I'm comin' home from work, but I forgot my address!  
  
I'm half an hour late for my algebra test!  
  
THEN some slimy alien jumps outta my chest!  
  
And I'm fallin' and fallin' and I guess you know the rest, I'm-  
  
Stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
I'm stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
Night after night after night after night! All-  
  
Stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
I'm stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
N-n-n-night after night after night! Night! Night!  
  
Stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
I'm stuck in a closet with Vanna White!  
  
Night after night after night after night! All right!"  
  
-'Stuck in a closet with Vanna White, Wierd Al Yankovic 


	31. Book Four, Chapter 5: What's the Hardest...

Splash.  
  
Ranma winced, sitting up and looking around at everyone.  
  
"You know, you coulda changed our clothes first?"  
  
The three Tendoo sisters all shifted their gazes slightly, then each blushed so much they practically glowed. As one, they turned to face the other way, still blushing.  
  
Ranma sighed. What a way to start his turn for the day.  
  
**************************************************************************** ************* Passenger Chapter 28: What's the Hardest Part of Learning to Skate?  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to the endless number of combat techniques invented by video game designers, and the immense fun you can have using them.  
  
Disclaimer: Two of these so far, I own. The rest are Takahashi-sama's. Honestly, just don't bother suing me. You won't even be able to pay the lawer afterwards.  
  
Key: The Metal Idol. Quotes: The language Japanese. Square Brackets: the sides of the signs used by nonspeaking Jusenkyoo cursed. Arrow Brackets: Indicate English, I hope. Otherwise something funny's going on. Funky curved brackets that look like... aw, hell These { } indicate Chinese. * * means that either Ranma or Kodora is mentally communicating the contained words to the other one. **************************************************************************** *************  
  
Genma-panda, serving as a changing screen for Ranma as he was the only (relatively) mobile object present that was large enough, was trying to think again.  
  
Kodora had won the match.  
  
Kodora had won the match with martial arts, apparently coming up with yet another technique, this time on the fly.  
  
That hadn't been Ranma out there. Ranma had had almost no effect on the person who had fought out there.  
  
How did he know?  
  
Genma had trained Ranma in the martial arts. This was one of the rare things he could do and still know exactly what he was doing, really. Genma had trained Ranma in the Anything-Goes style. Not just the Anything-Goes style, but the Saotome school. That was an important distinction.  
  
The idea behind the Anything-Goes style was this: always have something else up your sleeve. Happo- the evil master- had tought Genma and Souun to do this two different ways based in the same idea.  
  
This idea was that if you learned every style you ran into, your repertoire could only increase, and you would then have every technique and style at your fingertips. This was a fine idea, although changing styles so quickly wasn't as simple as it sounded. Often, to accomplish that, one would have to change one's entire physical stance to something totally new. Anyone can tell you that suddenly stopping for a moment to change what general area your center of balance is in, is a bad idea in a fast-paced fight.  
  
So, two ways. The Saotome school was based around aerial combat. Genma was sure Ranma hadn't really ever thought about why- Genma himself only remembered because the Master had beaten it into him.  
  
If you're in midair, you're in freefall, and it's easy to shift the manner in which you're moving without taking too much time. All the better to catch someone by surprise. Plus, if you use aerial attacks, you can restrict your opponent's motions, shift stances several times in one movement, attack from odd angles, get a breather by jumping REALLY high... any of a number of things.  
  
The Tendoo school was based around ground combat. Again, Genma was pretty sure only he, Tendoo, and the Master knew this. The Tendoo school was distinctly different- rather than shifting styles entirely, one tried to confuse one's opponent by being in more than one stance at a time, in parts. With practice, multiple styles could be blended slightly, such as using a Crane upper body stance with the Crab leg stance, or using the Ja Jinku no Apache in coordination with the Atlas Stance to weave out of an opponent's attack while maintaining a firm position. Plus, by staying on the ground, one remained largely stable, and could more easily defend oneself.  
  
If Tendoo had been training Kodora, she should have been using bits and pieces of other martial arts to fight.  
  
She wasn't.  
  
If Ranma had been training Kodora, she should have been bouncing around like a mosquito on a caffeine high, constantly shifting from one style to another.  
  
She wasn't.  
  
Kodora, as near as Genma could tell, had been using no martial arts styles at all.  
  
True, he would have to concede that the girl (demon, he reminded himself) had been using Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts, so to speak, since she'd been restricting herself to that attack style. But she had used not even one basic stance, and that Midnight Chrysanthemum or whoever had used plenty of them.  
  
Kodora was fast, Genma could see that. She had good basic strength, particularly in the legs. That was apparent. But her movement- there was no discipline at all.  
  
And somehow that had worked.  
  
Genma's underused brain finally gave out, and a tiny, unnoticeable trickle of smoke departed the panda's ear for a moment.  
  
Then the panda looked around, and realized he was alone in the room. Taped to his nose was a piece of paper.  
  
Genma removed the note, and read it.  
  
******  
  
As the panda walked by, rumbling to itself, Miyagi couldn't help but wonder why she had the urge to tell it to watch it's language.  
  
******  
  
Ranma continued on the way to the Tendoo Dojo, thoughtful, and walking in the lead.  
  
*gnnh.... anyone get the number of that delivery truck??*  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
*Delivery truck?*  
  
*Yeah.... feels like one ran me over...*  
  
*Heh. Nothing like that, Imooto- but you did win the match.*  
  
*I know, I remember.*  
  
Ranma almost stumbled, but kept walking.  
  
*I thought you couldn't really remember your berserker rages?*  
  
*Ranma, if I'd gone into rage, I would have forfeited by forgetting the rules. No contact, remember? Yeah, I got real mad, but hey- pain like that would do that to anyone.*  
  
*I know..* Ranma winced in memory of how that last strike had felt. *We GOTTA find a way to make your tail hurt less when it gets hit.*  
  
Kodora shrugged mentally. *I really can't think of anything right now- I can't even increase the chi flow there.. Speaking of which, you know, you haven't really gotten to train much for a while.*  
  
*'Sokay, Imootochan. After all, what happens to you happens to me.*  
  
*Yeah, but I've gotten a lot less exercise than you would have anyways. I hope your body hasn't gotten any weaker...*  
  
*Don't worry about it, I-*  
  
THUD  
  
Ranma shook his head, wondering when brick walls had started to get up and go stand in the middle of sidewalks.  
  
Ranma got up. "Oy! Watch where you're goin'.... Ryoga?"  
  
Ryoga turned to look at Ranma, with an almost disturbingly hopeful expression on his face, moving a little slowly from his almost-healed wounds.  
  
"Ranma? Is that you? I-"  
  
SPLASH  
  
Kodora, the remains of a water balloon still on her shoulder, looked down at the large, green rabbit.  
  
Usagi-Ryoga, now sitting in front of the large backpack, mostly swamped by the now far-outsized clothing, looked up at her.  
  
Souun Tendoo nearly facefaulted, while Akane and Nabiki were wearing somewhat disturbed expressions.  
  
Kasumi blinked, and almost- not quite, but almost- frowned for a moment, before her face settled on a neutral expression.  
  
Oooh, crap. Ryoga thought. Now she knows, and she's already pissed at me, and I can't even explain...  
  
The kids playing on the streed decided to vamoose, the adults here seemed to be busy. Really, it wasn't the way that one girl had a tail and fangs and was glowing red. Really it wasn't.  
  
Genma-panda came to a screeching halt behind the others, and held up a sign. [Did I miss something?]  
  
Usagi-Ryoga closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable, as Kodora stood there, trembling, glowing brilliant crimson.  
  
*Uh, Imooto-chan, I don't think-*  
  
*Shut up, Ranma. This... this... this IDIOT is going to PAY for...*  
  
Kodora looked at the shuddering rabbit huddled there in the wet clothing.  
  
*for...*  
  
It was about this point that her conscience and reasonability came up behind her anger, tapped it on the shoulder, and simultaneously roundhoused it in the face.  
  
The Tendoos and the elder Saotome watched as Kodora's aura seemed to invert, from the center to the edges, shifting to a soothing green color, then faded out. The small girl stepped forward and fell to her knees, scooping up the rabbit from the clothes, and moving it aside. She took the clothing and jammed it into Ryoga's large pack, seemingly ignoring the green rabbit that was watching her. To the amazement of the Tendoos, she then slid her arms behidn the straps of the pack. She held her arms out to the rabbit, looking it in the eyes.  
  
*Uh... Kodora-chan?*  
  
"Yoojo?"  
  
Ignoring the two trying to get her attention, the small martial artist beckoned to the rabbit, making a soft sound with the tip of her tongue on the roof of her mouth.  
  
"Tchk tchk tchk... Here, Ryoga..."  
  
Usagi-Ryoga looked at Kodora warily at first, then glanced to the other Tendoos. Akane was alternating between giving him the Gaze of Sooner-Than- Instant-Death and looking puzzledly at Kodora. Nabiki had regained her mask, and was watching dispassionately, while the Tendoo patriarch and the panda were giving the whole scene frankly disbelieving looks. Kasumi was looking pleasently puzzled, an expression more or less unique to her. Deciding that he'd rather not risk displeasing the person currently most likely to want him greivously injured (at best), he carefully hopped towards Kodora.  
  
Leaning over slightly, but not tilting Ryoga's pack, Kodora scooped up the large rabbit, holding him with at least one arm while using first one hand, then the other, to tighten the backpack straps until her shoulders were forced against it. Then, with a slight exhalation from effort, she surprised her whole family again by standing up, the pack rising with her.  
  
*Imooto-chan.... you're not using your chi...*  
  
*And... regretting it... Ranma.....rrgh...*  
  
Kodora wobbled slightly. Genma-Panda stepped up to help her, but she waved him off, and focused, pouring chi into her legs and back. Immediately, she managed to straighten up again.  
  
Without another word, she continued, heading for the Tendoo-ke, still carrying the puzzled green rabbit. It took the others a moment to follow her.  
  
******  
  
Xian Pu, Ko Lon, and Sin Ku all stood at the edge of a town.  
  
"So..." Began the truly diminutive Matriarch, "The demon has been here for the past while, has it?"  
  
Sin Ku nodded, then spoke up in a voice like chocolate mousse, deep, smooth, and soft. "Yes, Matriarch. It seems reluctant to move now. And before you ask, no I still cannot determine its power, which still disturbs me."  
  
Ko Lon cackled. "Actually, I was going to ask you if you could look for a good place to put a... specialized... bookstore around here."  
  
Xian Pu looked confused. "Hibachan- why you want to have bookstore?"  
  
Sin Ku echoed the question silently, shooting the Matriarch a quizzical glance.  
  
"Because," replied the Matriarch, turning on her staff to regard the other two, "It will be much easier to wait for the demon to show up near us, than to go in search of it, especially with only three of us. Besides- then I can catch up on my reading!"  
  
Xian Pu huffed. "Is too, too good, but Xian Pu still want to know- Why we must speak Japanese with each other?"  
  
Sin Ku smiled. "Practice, Xian Pu. Practice."  
  
******  
  
Ryoga, newly human and steaming, scrambled for his clothes, while Kodora set down the teakettle, with a neutral expression. She registered her own and Ranma's mild amusement and astonishment at seeing someone dress so quickly while blushing so red, but ignored them for the moment.  
  
Ryoga was definitely flustered- he'd expected the small girl to turn her head when she poured the hot water. However, as he saw it, it was, in a way, her right, all things considered. He turned, now fully dressed, and kneeled before her, preparing to bow down to the ground and ask forgiveness.  
  
Kodora beat him to it, her nose touching the floor of the dojo as she kept her hands in proper bowing position, palm-down on her lap as she kneeled.  
  
"Doomo sumimasen (I am very sorry for what I have done), Ryoga-san. Please find it within yourself to forgive me."  
  
Ryoga erked, reaching over to lift the much smaller martial artist to a normal kneeling position.  
  
"No, Kodora-kun, no- You have nothing to ask forgiveness for! I need to ask you to forgive me! I acted without honor!"  
  
Kodora shook her head sadly. "No, Ryoga-san. I had no right to take out my feelings on you." She continued to look down at the floor. "I likely injured you very badly- I could have killed you. That was not within my rights to do. I was far in the wrong, and I hope you can forgive me."  
  
Ryoga considered this a moment. "I see your point, but I don't think it's like that. I took advantage of you- of your kindness, to get close so I could make sure of Ranma's abilities- so I could try to fight with him. I had... no honorable reason for seeking out the duel, and I went about it all wrong. I had blinded myself. It is I who should be asking your forgiveness."  
  
Kodora looked up at Ryoga, and smiled slightly, chuckling softly. "Kind of silly, isn't it? Each of us thinks we owe the other...." She paused, sighing. "You know, with everything that's happened since Juusenkyo, it's still kind of hard to believe this is all real...."  
  
"Huh?" Replied Ryoga, currently lost in the conversational sense.  
  
"Oh, that's right... you don't know. I'm not Ranma, and he isn't me. I'm from... somewhere else. I got stuck in here with Ranma when he fell in at Juusenkyo..."  
  
Ryoga glanced at where Kodora's tail was lying, the very tip twitching occasionally. "Spring of drowned otherworldly demon?"  
  
The petite demon-girl shook her head again, her strange quills rattling softly, creating a sound much like ocean waves.  
  
"No, spring of drowned girl."  
  
Ryoga looked nonplussed. "What?"  
  
"Long story. Look... I'll admit what you did was wrong, Ryoga, and you shouldn't have done it... But that doesn't mean that I had the right to hurt you like that."  
  
Kodora waited for his answer, mildly amused by the sounds she kept hearing outside the dojo.  
  
******  
  
"Ow! Mr. Saotome, that's my foot!"  
  
[Sorry, Akane.] Genma-panda moved his own hindpaw, then pressed his furry ear against the wall again.  
  
"Father! Akane! Nabiki! I'm ashamed of you!"  
  
Everyone at the dojo wall next to the door turned to behold Kasumi, not- smiling, shaking a finger at them.  
  
"You three have better judgement than to listen in on something private!"  
  
Genma-panda blinked. [What about me?]  
  
The three Tendoos at the dojo looked contrite and headed for the house. Souun stopped to look over at Kasumi.  
  
"But, Kasumi-chan, what if he tries something with Kodora-chan? I couldn't..."  
  
Kasumi sighed. "Otoosan, are you forgetting that in the last fight involving those two, it was Ryoga-san who wound up badly beaten? Imootochan can take care of herself."  
  
Souun blinked, thinking about that for a moment. "You're right, Kasumi- chan. I should have more faith in my little girl."  
  
"Really, though, Otoosan, I shouldn't have to tell you this- you know better."  
  
The remaining two Tendoos went inside the house.  
  
Genma-panda sat outside the dojo with a strange expression. [But what about me? Shouldn't I get scolded too?]  
  
******  
  
Ryoga nodded. "I see. I would still like to have a good match with Ranma again, though."  
  
Kodora quirked up an eyebrow. "Oh?"  
  
The Lost Boy nodded again. "Hai. He's the only guy I can ever find who's in anything resembling my league- I'm still not sure if I can beat him.... Besides, he went missing from our last fight! Say, you wouldn't happen to know why that was, would you?"  
  
Kodora grimaced. "Actually, yes... See, Ranma waited for you a full three days..."  
  
"But, I got there on the fourth day!"  
  
"No, you don't understand. He waited a full three days. Awake."  
  
"...awake?"  
  
"Yes. When he finally fell asleep from exhaustion, he woke up somewhere else entirely. Panda-baka had dragged him off."  
  
"..panda?"  
  
Kodora nodded. "Ranma's oyaji got cursed to turn into a panda, just like Ranma and me, or you and a rabbit."  
  
Ryoga piku-pikued. "You mean, this whole thing is that panda's fault?"  
  
******  
  
Ranma looked into the yard from the dinner table. "Yo, Ryoga! Yer grub's gettin' cold!"  
  
"Be right there in a minute! GENMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!!!"  
  
Akane cheered, ignoring the small signs that occasionally landed next to the table, each reading [help] or some similar sentiment.  
  
Souun, done with his food and watching the chase, got a feeling that he would be seeing a lot of this sometime soon. Shaking off the odd shiver in his spine, he turned to Akane. "So, you're planning on going ice skating tomorrow afternoon?"  
  
"Hai, Otoosan. It should be a lot of fun!" Akane smiled.  
  
Souun nodded. "It's good to hear they finally repaired the old ice rink."  
  
"Ice skating, huh? C'n I come along?"  
  
Souun looked over at Ranma. "Beg pardon?"  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Well, Kodora says ice skating is pretty fun, an' I never got to do any of it before, so..."  
  
Akane gave Ranma a look. "As long as you promise not to try anything perverted, it's fine with me. I have to go finish my homework.  
  
Ranma and Souun looked at each other, and shrugged.  
  
"Wierd girl."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Woo-hoo! Fun! Finally back on track (lousy FF.net failures. I really hope we're through with those...) and headed for standard Furinkan zaniness!  
  
WATCH! As Ranma learns to ice skate!  
  
SEE! Ryoga try to beat up Sanzenin!  
  
ENJOY! Kodora trying to beat up Sanzenin!  
  
HEAR! Akane promise to beat up Sanzenin!  
  
FEEL! Kuno's battle aura as he promises to beat up Sanzenin! (Anytime you sense a theme here, feel free to stop me.)  
  
Also-  
  
Soon, Interlude 4!  
  
Maybe the Amazons will finally meet this 'demon' they've been following!  
  
What will happen when Ranma tries to Ice Skate?  
  
How on earth will I bring Mikado and Azusa into this without P- chan/Charlotte?  
  
Will Noriko ever show her face in this fic again?  
  
And what about Kasumi!  
  
All this and more, soon in...  
  
Passenger: Along for the Ride!  
  
Note: the Ja Jinku no Apache belongs to whoever it was that wrote 'A Different Approach', in which Ranma is not engaged to ANY of the Tendoo sisters to his knowledge, and becomes Nabiki's boyfriend and Akane's trainer. Sorry, author, I forgot your name. I'm really, REALLY bad with names. Sorry, sorry, sorry....  
  
AAANywho....  
  
"I'll rip your HEAD OFF!" "Oh, thank you, thank you!" -Ryoga (line one) and Ranma (line two), page 192, Ranma 1/2 volume 3.  
  
S: "Akane! Isn't it lovely!" A: "Yee! Kill it!" -Souun and Akane, page 194, Ranma 1/2 volume 3. 


	32. Book Four, Chapter 6: This Isn't The Nex...

"Oops."  
  
WHAM  
  
"Ow."  
  
scramble  
  
"Oops."  
  
WHAM  
  
"Ow."  
  
*Um, Kodora?*  
  
scramble  
  
"Hold on, I think I've got it...Whoops."  
  
WHAM  
  
"Ow."  
  
*Kodora?*  
  
*Yes?*  
  
*You're SURE you've skated before?*  
  
*YES.*  
  
*So, why-*  
  
*I never said it was recent or a lot, Ranma. I told you to expect to get a lot of lumps from this.*  
  
*Wonderful.*  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger Chapter 29: This Isn't The Next Chapter  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to all you flakes out there. You know who you are.  
  
Disclaimer: Why bother? You already know anyway, especially if you've read this far.  
  
English and sound effects are in . Japanese is in " ". Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs are in [ ]. Chinese is in { }. Mental conversations between Ranma and Kodora are in * *.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
"Here, let me help you with that, Imooto-chan."  
  
Kodora looked up at Kasumi.  
  
"I still don't see how you can skate in a long skirt like that. How do you keep from tripping yourself up?"  
  
Kasumi just smiled pleasantly and slid in a lazy circle around her sister, who was sitting splay-legged on the ice.  
  
"Practice, of course. How do you keep doing all of those twists with your neck?" Asked Kasumi, currently behind Kodora, who had twisted to face her without moving her own legs.  
  
Kodora grinned sheepishly. "I know, I'd just expected to get it back right away, like riding a bike."  
  
Souun slid by, looking unsteady. "Look, Kasumi-chan! I'm moving!"  
  
Kasumi kept smiling. "Of course you are, Otoosan. You might want to watch where you're going, though."  
  
"Eh?" Souun managed, before falling over the short wall on the edge of the rink. "Oof!"  
  
Kodora giggled. "Rule one of skating, 'Toosan. Don't focus too much on any one thing at first, you'll trip yourself up."  
  
Souun popped up from behind the wall. "Of course. I knew that."  
  
Kasumi managed to help Kodora to her feet without both of them falling over. "You're forgetting that yourself, though, Imooto. You're concentrating too much on the memory of skating."  
  
Kodora blinked. "Ano... I see what you mean, Oneechan."  
  
"Here, just let me lead you around a little, maybe it will come back to you."  
  
Kasumi took her sister's hands and slowly skated backwards , drawing the much smaller girl along with her.  
  
*Hey, Ranma, why so quiet all of a sudden?*  
  
*Uh? Oh, nothing.*  
  
*You sure?*  
  
*Yah. Say, where'd Ryoga go? I know he wasn't too good when he first stepped on the ice, but I thought he was gonna stick with the rest of us?*  
  
******  
  
"Martine!"  
  
Ryoga blinked. The little girl in the ice skates and excessively cute clothing was running towards him across the padded area near the entrance to the rink. Figuring she meant someone else, he continued his sulking.  
  
He was sure, with all the time he'd wound up spending in the mountains, that he would be a natural for skating.  
  
Instead, he hadn't even managed to put both feet on the ice for more than half a second at a go. He knew he wasn't extremely good with his balance, but that had been ridiculous and embarrassing.  
  
GRAB  
  
Ryoga absently looked up at the girl clutching one of his bandannas.  
  
"Martine! Mart- Jeanette! Jeanette!"  
  
GRAB  
  
"Jeanette! Martine! Jean-"  
  
Azusa looked again.  
  
Bandanna in right hand: check.  
  
Bandanna in left hand: check.  
  
Boy with no bandanna on: no check.  
  
?????  
  
******  
  
"Here we go."  
  
*Hey, this seems like it would be pretty easy.*  
  
*Yeah, it's actually pretty easy, but the way it works is kind of deceptive.*  
  
*Hm. Kinda fun, too.*  
  
*Yup. You just have to be careful not to get out of control, because then you usually can't get it back without running into something.*  
  
*So, how do you get out of control?*  
  
*Well,* Answered Kodora, making a wide u-turn, following the wall of the rink, *You can run into someone, or you can make an instinctive movement that wouldn't work, or*  
  
Someone passed by in front of her, FAST. She reacted by jerking back, but that changed her direction, causing her to slide out of control.  
  
*CRAP! OR YOU CAN PANIC!!!*  
  
"Whoaaaa! A little- whoop- help here!! Aaack!"  
  
KATCH  
  
Piku-piku.  
  
"Nan da?"  
  
Kodora looked up, to see a the face of a fine-featured young man looking down at her from behind her.  
  
"Are you alright, little girl?" Asked Mikado Sanzenin, turning the small girl to face him as he set her on the ice.  
  
"Ano... I'm fine, thank you." Answered Kodora. *LITTLE?*  
  
*Remember what Touhuu-sensei said, Imootochan? Eleven or twelve?*  
  
*Oh, yeah...*  
  
"Kodora-chan! Are you alright?"  
  
Kodora smiled up at Kasumi. "I'm fine. This nice boy caught me. Say.." She turned to the tall young man. "..what's your name?"  
  
Mikado bowed. "I am Mikado Sanzenin of Kolkhoz High School." He turned to Kasumi. "Miss, if you would like, I would tutor your daughter in ice skating so that she does not have any more accidents like this."  
  
Kasumi smiled, but her eyebrow twitched slightly. "No, thank you, sir. My IMOOTOCHAN and I can do just fine for ourselves, thank you."  
  
Kodora and Mikado both winced, for different reasons.  
  
"Come along, IMOOTOCHAN, let us go see if we can find Ryoga-san." So saying, Kasumi took off for the gate, dragging Kodora along behind her. Mikado just stood there, looking embarrassed.  
  
Then again, he really didn't think a woman like that would have encouraged her own daughter to do such strange things to her hair. What on earth was the girl using for shampoo? Crazy glue?  
  
******  
  
*What an annoying- what the?* Ranma cut off.  
  
"And Jaques and Charlotte and Francoise and Michelle and..."  
  
Ryoga was sitting there watching passively as Azusa kept removing and naming the bandanna from his head. She was already waist-deep in pieces of unevenly checkered cloth.  
  
Ryoga looked up. "Hey. How are you doing?"  
  
"Ano- Ryoga? Are all of those off of your head?"  
  
"And Jeannie and Michi and Karine and..."  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Oh, my. Doesn't it hurt your head to have all of those on at once?"  
  
"I only wear one at a time, Kasumi."  
  
Kodora blinked. "Run that by me again?"  
  
"And Cleausseau and Gabri and Andrea and..."  
  
"Have you ever heard of a book called 'The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Bates'?"  
  
"By an American man? Name of Dr. Seuss?"  
  
"Yeah. I happened on a cursed version of it. Some wizard or sorceror with too much time on their hands, I think."  
  
"And Kalinka and Russa and Anna and Mishka..."  
  
"So what does that mean?"  
  
"Well," Ryoga sighed. "It means that no matter how many times I take off my bandanna, I'm still wearing one."  
  
"And Bowie and Sarah and Chester and Jaha..."  
  
"That must come in handy sometimes."  
  
"I suppose. But just once, I'd like to take it off and wash my hair. Do you know how hard this makes it to get haircuts?"  
  
"And Vyse and Aika and Fina and Drachma and..."  
  
"Is that why your hair's like that?"  
  
"Actually, I just like my hair like this, but a little shorter than it is now. I haven't had a haircut in a few weeks. That's how long I've had this thing."  
  
"And Mag and Chain and Pepper and Linear and Gre and WHY AREN'T YOU CHASING AZUSA?!??!"  
  
Ryoga looked over at her. "What's the point? I don't need those anyways."  
  
Grumbling, Azusa Shiratori stalked off, which was pretty impressive until she left the padded area, forgetting that she was still wearing her skates.  
  
TRIP-WHAP  
  
"Owwie!!!!"  
  
The man behind the skate-rental counter leaned over it. "HEY! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY OF THOSE LYING AROUND AFTER YOU LEAVE!"  
  
Ryoga blanched.  
  
"What am I going to do with all of these things?"  
  
"Try putting them back on."  
  
Ryoga looked at Kodora like he thought she was insane. "Are you insane?"  
  
Kodora shook her head. "No, think about it. If you always have ONE on, and you put another one on, what will the spell that's making you always have one do?"  
  
"It will.... overload and expire?"  
  
Kodora rubbed her temples. "No, Ryoga. It will remove the extra one, since you're supposed to always have ONE on, not two."  
  
Ryoga brightened. "I get it!" He immediately grabbed one of the bandannas, still tied into a loop, and placed it on his head around the one he was currently wearing, which disappeared. "Hey, you were right!"  
  
Kodora shrugged. "It just made sense, you know? What sort of a curse would it be if you could undo it that easily?"  
  
Ryoga nodded, rapidly replacing bandannas. "I'm lucky she didn't untie these."  
  
Kasumi frowned at the pile. "At least, not after the first hundred or so, she didn't."  
  
Ryoga froze, then slumped. "Aw, man, I'm gonna be here FOREVER."  
  
Kodora smiled. "No you won't. We'll just tie them and hand them to you. Right, Oneechan?"  
  
Kasumi smiled back and nodded. The two immediately set to retying the bandannas they could reach, while Ryoga kept putting them back on.  
  
Akane walked up. "What the....."  
  
Kodora replied, without even looking up. "Ryoga's putting back on an infinite number of bandannas."  
  
Akane just sweatdropped.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
You may be wondering about the name of this chapter. I called it that because, as you may have noticed, I have failed to have anyone trying to beat up Mikado Sanzenin.  
  
Yet.  
  
I decided to delay that to next chapter.  
  
MORE REVIEWS! MUST HAVE MORE REVIEWS!  
  
By the by, I am STILL looking for someone willing to host my fanfictions and companion artwork, since the esteemed FF.net DOES NOT DO PIX. Please? Some response of one sort or another would be nice.  
  
And I can't say it enough times. My Email is 'Selene Starblade@AOL.com'. If your mail system does not support addresses with spaces in them, just ignore the space and it should be okay. If you mail me at Whirledpeas3@aol.com, it may get deleted accidentally, as I am not the only person using that Screen Name for Email. I only supplied FF.net with that address because it wouldn't accept my real one at all.  
  
So, Next Chapter: What I promised I would have in THIS chapter!  
  
And for those of you also reading Out Of My Hair- sorry about the delays on the next chapter. Inspiration has failed to perform it's routine strike to the head, and I'm still waiting. The chapter is actually about half-done, but I'm not going to post it in that condition. 'Coz stuff still might change.  
  
To the understandable aggrievement of said Tatewaki, he was now also known as the Puce Wombat, the Lavender Toothpick, the Mauve Pantyliner, the Beige Sparkplug, and Ranma's personal favorite, the Tartan Electric Massage Unit With Sunlamp Attached. In a mere forty-eight hours, the Furinkan talent for distorting information had tagged Kuno with some seventy-nine new and increasingly ludicrous names-- and most people assumed that he'd chosen them himself. -"Girl Days" 


	33. Book Four, Interlude: A Buncha Extra Jun...

Okey - dokey... Alla you out there who read my stuff!  
  
It's time for something interesting! This fourth interlude is NOT meant to be of one piece with the other three! This is its own interlude. That was, of course the original idea: somewhere in every book is a little chapter that holds only other stuff, extras. Dissertation kinda got outta hand, but don't worry, I'll finish it eventually.  
  
As for this- this interlude will include a few nifty extras.  
  
PART ONE  
  
It has come to my attention that a lot of people are under the impression that Kodora, Ranma, and Ryoga are considerably more powerful in one aspect or another than they are intended to come across as. To rectify this, I have here a set of measurements (no, not that kind you hentai!). These are by no means absolute nor perfectly accurate. In fact, they are set in somewhat loose terms, although they are terms that most Ranma readers will understand.  
  
Each character will be rated in terms of nine statistics.  
  
Strength- raw strength. Basically, how much can they lift? How hard do they hit? Agility- agility. How fast are their reflexes? How skilled are they at dodging? How good is their balance? Speed- whole-body. How fast do they run/walk/hop/fly/cartwheel/slither/roll/etc.? How fast can they strike? Flexibility- How much contortion can they do? How far can they bend their joints in ways that shouldn't be possible? Toughness- How can they handle taking blows? How hard are they to injure? Endurance- How long can they exert themselves before they're tired? How often do they need to rest? Skill- How much control over what they can do can they exert? How many techniques do they know? Chi- How much chi do they produce? Also notes which emotion(s) are best for fueling chi attacks. Ingenuity- How good are they at coming up with tactics and solutions on the fly? How fast are they, mentally?  
  
Okay? Ratings are like this.  
  
STR  
  
1: Normal human, lift perhaps a mid-sized TV  
  
2: Akane, pick up large wooden tables, break many bricks in one blow  
  
3: Pick up and carry around Genma-panda, break concrete  
  
4: Throw large chunks of ice, like during the Martial Arts Skating battle  
  
5: That trick Ryoga does with his umbrella where he throws the huge boar way up into the air  
  
6: Hey, is that a truck you're carrying around?  
  
AGI  
  
1: Normal human, catch thrown ball  
  
2: Won't get hit in a normal game of dodgeball  
  
3: Dodge Kuno's 'thousand strikes' technique  
  
4: Dodge speeding arrow  
  
5: Dodge speeding bullet  
  
6: Dodge machinegun fire  
  
SPD  
  
1: Normal human, maybe 12 MPH tops  
  
2: Experienced runner, 14-16 MPH  
  
3: Ranma at beginning of series in a hurry, 18-20 MPH  
  
4: Outrun speeding golf carts  
  
5: Outrun Shampoo's Bicycle of Doom  
  
6: Run the Indy 500  
  
FLEX  
  
1: Normal human, can't scratch that one spot on your back  
  
2: Flexible, can put foot on top of own head  
  
3: Contortionist, can do splits sideways so far knees hit armpits  
  
4: Expert contortionist, can bend better than Dhalsim  
  
5: Boneless, Since when can you fit in a suitcase?  
  
6: Shouldn't that break your neck?  
  
TOUGH  
  
1: Normal human  
  
2: Can ignore thrown tennis balls completely  
  
3: Can ignore thrown rocks completely  
  
4: Bakusai Tenketsu. Need I say more?  
  
5: Can ignore falling boulders  
  
6: Rockslide? What rockslide?  
  
ENDUR  
  
1: Normal human  
  
2: Let's run the seven-minute mile again!  
  
3: Oooo, look! That marathon starts when this one ends! Sign me up!  
  
4: So I haven't sat down all week. So what?  
  
5: You've been running for HOW many days continuously?  
  
6: Why are you looking so tired? It's only 120 flights of stairs. We've only run it three times!  
  
SKILL  
  
1: Normal human  
  
2: Akane  
  
3: Kuno on a really good day  
  
4: Genma half-asleep  
  
5: Happosai half-asleep  
  
6: Ko Lon on full  
  
CHI  
  
1: Normal human  
  
2: Ranma at beginning of series  
  
3: Can use a chi-spending technique as a final attack  
  
4: Can use a chi-blast as a final attack  
  
5: Can throw chi-blasts like large rocks  
  
6: Herb  
  
INGEN  
  
1: Normal  
  
2: Comes up with own chi blast  
  
3: You revised the Hiryuu Shoten Ha HOW many times?  
  
4: Would you believe I just realized how to make a nuclear bomb with ordinary household items?  
  
5: Fixes computers with stone tools  
  
6: Hey, I just realized the meaning of life!  
  
Okay, got that? Here goes.  
  
As of this point in my Passenger fanfiction:  
  
Name: STR AGI SPD FLEX TOUGH ENDUR SKILL CHI INGEN  
  
Ranma 4 3.5 3 3 2 2.5 4 4 2.5  
  
Kodora 1.5 2 3 2 1.5 2 2 4.5 3.5  
  
Tatewaki Kuno 2 2 1.5 1 2 2 3 1.5 -1  
  
Akane 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1  
  
Kodachi Kuno 1 2.5 2 2.5 1 1 3.5 1 1  
  
Genma* 5 (4) 4.5 (4) 4.5 (3.5) 2 (1) 3 3 4.5 (4) 5 (2) 3.5 (.5)  
  
Souun 4 3 3 2 2.5 1.5 4 4 1.5  
  
Ryoga 5 2.5 2 2 2.5 4 4 4 1.5  
  
Ko Lon 3 5 3 3 1 5 6 5 2  
  
Xian Pu 4 4 2 2 2 3 3.9 3 1.5  
  
Sin Ku ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  
  
Kasumi 1 2 ? ? ? 2.5 ? ? ?  
  
Nabiki 1 1 1.5 1 1 1 1.5 ? 3.5  
  
Noriko 1.1 2.5 1.5 3 1 1.5 3 1 ?  
  
Extensive list, ne?  
  
PART TWO  
  
And now, it's time for... a GUESSING GAME!!! Match these repeated quotes and catchphrases to their speaker and the speaker's show/game/book/cartoon/anime/manga of origin! Email me the answers at: SeleneStarblade@aol.com.  
  
Here goes:  
  
Quotes:  
  
"Let's do it, to it!" "That really burns my toast!" "This is it, we're all going to die." "Shaddup you mout'!" "Wowsers, Bowsers!" "There's no need to fear! (insert name here) is here!" "Welcome to your doom!" "Jammin'!" "Candyland, kid. Candyland." "I meant to do that!" "Meep, meep, oh dear."  
  
Characters:  
  
Zurg Neff Gadget Boris TJ Sparrow Batley Sonic Arthur Dent Underdog Ryudo  
  
Origin of characters:  
  
The Very Worried Sparrow (book) Toejam and Earl (video game) Eureeka's Castle (TV show) Grandia II (video game) Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (book) Rocky and Bullwinkle (Cartoon) Altered Beast (Video Game) Underdog (Cartoon) Sonic the Hedgehog (Cartoon/Anime) Inspector Gadget (Cartoon) The Adventures of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (Cartoon)  
  
PART THREE  
  
Okay, now that we've gotten a bit of silly out of the way, it's time to look at techniques!  
  
These aren't rated numerically or anything- just descriptive stuff. This list includes standard techniques, techniques mentioned often in fanfiction despite their not being canon, and my techniques. The names are as they originally appeared. Japanese names have a LITERAL English translation in quotes. That means in the same order they appear in the name of the technique.  
  
Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken "Broiled Sweed Chestnut Fist"- Canon. High speed hand motion. Includes great deal of control, hence the ability to remove chestnuts from a fire. Because of control, things like high-speed shiatsu are possible.  
  
Seigensakudoken "Speed Limit Fist" - Mine. VERY high speed hand motion. Very little control, but easier than KTA and harder to defend against, since hits are pretty much at random. Faster than KTA from same fighter.  
  
Ironcloth- Sort of canon, sort of not canon. Word used to describe ability to use cloth items (bandannas, belts, long sleeves) as though they were made of much stiffer, sturdier material. More of a chi-imbuing method than anything else. This ability is never described as a technique in Ranma 1/2, but it is generally assumed that the things Ryoga does with his bandannas and belt are part of this technique.  
  
Bakusai Tenketsu "Blasting (Pressure/Vulnerable) Points- Canon. Two-part technique. The obvious part of the technique is that it gives the user the ability to strike a stone (or area of ground) with one finger, causing it to violently shatter, spraying pieces everywhere. Definitely does not work on humans. In canon, this is not explained, nor whether or not the Bakusai Tenketsu strike works on anything BUT rocks. The second part of the technique is gained from the method of training. The Bakusai Tenketsu toughens the student, making them impervious to damage from anything but major impacts. The method for this is also not explained- perhaps a use of chi to harden the part of the body being struck, possibly just natural toughening. There is much disagreement as to which way this part works.  
  
Stonebreaker Fist- Popular. This technique is used for striking hard objects, rocks, armor, or particularly tough opponents, and causing unprecedented damage. It involves focusing chi into one's fist, and releasing the chi into the target on impact. This increased the force and damage potential of a blow greatly.  
  
Hiryuu Shooten Ha "Flying Dragon Ascension Wave" (and variation Hiryuu Gyooten Ha "Flying Dragon Heaven Wave")- This technique is very unusual. First, one must have an opponent with a battle aura, works very well with auras inspired by the hot emotions (anger, lust, embarrassment, outrage). By focusing one's chi to draw kinetic energy OUT of the area around one's body, the user creates an equivalent cold aura. The user then draws their opponent into a spiral, causing a winding of cold and hot air spirals into one, much like the beginning of a natural hurricane. Then, once the center of the spiral is reached, the user forces the cold aura into contact with the hot aura (usually with a single blow, generally an uppercut). This causes the 'unwinding' of the spiral, which creates great amounts of wind, resulting in a sort of localized hurricane or controlled tornado. Highly skilled users can produce both hot and cold aura and wind them around each other so as to create the tornado without needing the spiral motion or even the opponent.  
  
Juuno-Ken "Fist Of Ten"- Popular. This is generally assumed to be a basic special attack of the Tendoo school of the Musabetsu Kaketoo Ryu. It is very simple- the user simply performs a heavy chi-enhanced punch. Since action produces reaction, the user must stay still and brace themself for a moment to use this attack to full effect, limiting it's use.  
  
Shishi Hokodan "Lion (Roaring/Halberd) (Bullet/Missile)"- Canon. A standard, depression-fueled chi-attack. Has the interesting property of forming a physically heavy ball of chi and air, which will fall if given the opportunity. Like any emotion-based attack, it gets bigger and stronger the more of the particular emotion the user is feeling.  
  
Shishi Hokodan Perfect- Canon. This version takes advantage of the heaviness of the chi-ball created by the Shishi Hokodan. By launching the chi directly into the air, the user forces it to fall straight back down. The result of this is that rather than a ball of chi that plows into the opponent, the user effectively projects a well of temporarily increased pressure, a similar effect to suddenly putting their opponent in deep sea for a few short instants. Due to the nature of the Shishi Hokodan as an emotion-based chi blast, for the short time that the pressure in the area is increased by the chi, the user is emotionally 'empty', and hence they reabsorb the chi putting pressure on themself rather than suffering from it. This is why Ranma was able to distract Ryooga in the 18th manga, causing the lost boy to suffer the effects of the attack as well. Note that this attack requires no more depression than the standard Shishi Hokodan, just a different use for it.  
  
Shishi Hokodan Superior- Mine. This attack can be performed only by someone who is at the utmost of depression, who feels (at least at the time) as though they have no worth at all. The fullness of the emotion causes an interesting effect. Rather than projecting the chi in a sphere and basically throwing it at the opponent, the attack creates a beam of chi. This beam acts somewhat like a laser, more or less punching through whatever gets in its way. The user builds up a large aura of depression- fueled chi, sucks it into the area of their body, and then effectively lets it out through a small 'hole' in the side of their aura. Why does the size of the hole matter? Try fooling with a hose, putting your thumb over the end of it. The less space the water flows from, the higher the pressure. Simple. With the sheer volume of depression, much more energy flows through the same space, causing a different kind of damage. A standard chi attack, in fact is more a bludgeoning attack, whereas the beam of the Shishi Hokodan Superior is more of a piercing effect.  
  
Mooko Takabisha "Fierce Tiger Domineering"- Canon. This is Ranma's invented response to the Shishi Hokodan. Because it draws on self- confidence, a much 'lighter' emotion than depression, when released it has more of a tendency to either float away or bob around like a balloon with just enough helium. This means that any 'Perfect' attack would have to be performed with an entirely different method from the Shishi Hokodan Perfect. Also, being a 'lighter' emotion makes it less focusable, meaning that a 'Superior' technique would also have to be performed differently.  
  
Kijin Raishuu Dan "Fierce God Attack (Bullet/Missile)"- Canon. This is a very strange chi technique. Rather than using the chi of the attack as the weapon, the user makes a sort of blade-structure of their chi, and pushes that through the air. The chi-structure warps, causing a thin sliver of vacuum to fly through the air. It is the vacuum that does the damage, rather than the chi. Because of the nature of the vacuum, it will cut through more or less anything until the chi sustaining the vacuum dies out. Contrary to some beliefs, because of the way a vacuum will suck anything in, there is no way to change the attack to make it totally non-lethal, without removing the vacuum aspect. Additionally, since the chi is not the actual attack, this attack is harder to detect through chi-senses than most attacks.  
  
Mooko Kaimon Ha "Tiger Open Gate Wave"- Canon. It is uncertain where the true power of this technique lies. After shouting 'Look Out!' to distract the opponent, the user thrusts their arms forward, flinging them wide. At the exact same time, the user swings one foot up in a swift kick. Perhaps the arms break an opponent's guard, letting the kick through. Perhaps the arms and the kick together are what do the damage, and the 'Look Out!' is supposed to cause the target to unfocus their chi. Whichever way it is, this attack is similarly dangerous to the Kijin Raishuu Dan, which is understandable considering that it belongs to the same school.  
  
Umi-Sen-Ken "Sea-Thousand-Fist"- Canon. This is not actually the name of the technique. The true name of the method of undetected motion is apparently never actually given in either the manga or the anime. Either way, the ability to move completely undetected is extremely powerful and deserves mention. Through use of this technique, the user becomes invisible and hides their chi entirely. It is generally assumed that there are several small faults in the technique, however. For instance, the technique does nothing about odor, touch, or sound to all appearances. Furthermore, it is generally assumed that the technique leaves an area of NO CHI AT ALL, meaning that someone of sharp mind with a chi sense actually CAN detect the user, if they know there is someone there to look for. Whether this is true or not is unknown.  
  
Donki Hasami "Blunted Scissors"- Mine. This technique is a bit unusual. It is based entirely on raw skill, accuracy, and physical strength, and does not use any more chi than a standard punch or kick. The power of this attack is derived from the pincer motion of the two sticks/clubs/whatever the user implements. By swinging both clubs correctly, the clubs will form a shape like a scissors. The actual effects of the technique depend on the target. On something thin, especially if it is brittle, stiff, or hard, the simultaneous blows on either side of it will usually cause the target to break. On something larger or less breakable, the simultaneous blows merely enhance each other's effect. These effects are because the two blows striking at precisely the same time on almost perfectly-opposite sides of the target exert force towards each other as well as on the target, more than doubling the effect of either blow.  
  
Reppa Donki Hasami Ha "Rapidfire Blunted Scissors Wave"- Mine. This is not exactly a true technique, not having a set pattern. It is literally what its name means. By focusing and possibly using chi to enhance their own speed, the user strikes repeatedly with the Donki Hasami. Something similar can be performed with nearly any attack, such as with Tatewaki Kuno's 'Hundred Strikes' attack.  
  
Senjuu Konbo "One Hundred Tens Clubs"- Canon. This is a bit of a wierd attack. Rather than using one or two weapons and striking quickly, the user moves their hands even faster, supporting a large number of weapons, each of which is dropped after striking, and retrieved later, but before it can fall very far. Incidentally, it would actually be EASIER to use only one or two weapons. However, this technique has an advantage that offsets that. Because the user manipulates so many weapons, it becomes much more difficult and lengthy to disarm them or stop the attack. On the other hand, it requires more concentration because of the extra weapons, so in the end it is a less effective attack. However, it would make for extremely good training as a step between normal and the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken.  
  
Bakusai Tenketsu Kateibun "Blasting (Pressure/Vulnerable) Points Splitting Process"- Popular. This is not always the name of this attack, others include "Bakusai Tenketsu Ha". This is the standard way for improving upon the Breaking Point- rather than causing a single shattering explosion, a series of such runs across the ground either in an expanding arc or in a straight line, as either the stones from one impact hit the correct point to start the next one OR the chi is sent through the ground so as to trigger the necessary points. This method of improving the technique has become less popular in recent fanfiction, suggesting that more people are trying to think of more original things than just making techniques bigger or faster. Bravo.  
  
PART FOUR  
  
THINGS THAT HAPPEN TOO MUCH  
  
Sorry to say, but I have a bit of a gripe about the current trend in Ranma fanfiction.  
  
There are a too many people using the same characters as everyone else. What do I mean?  
  
Well, Jim Bader, who writes the most complete (and by far the LONGEST) fanfictions I have ever read, introduced a few very interesting characters.  
  
For instance, Madame Lao, the owner of an incredibly wealthy and large house of ill repute (although sometimes she is on a ship instead). Or Perfume, an Amazon Enforcer who uses two large axes and suffers from a condition that makes her extremely sensitive to pain.  
  
This was just fine.  
  
He also introduced the concept of the Nexus, a person whose very existence would always change the universe in which they lived, and the idea of War Masters and Lore Masters.  
  
This was also just great. A bunch of original ideas and characters.  
  
Then something bad happened.  
  
Nine out of every ten Ranma fanfiction writers began including in their fanfictions Amazon Enforcers named Perfume who had two large axes and a condition that made them extremely sensitive to pain. About seventy percent of Ranma fanfiction writers began having War Master and Lore Master plots all over the place. They appeared in mega-crossovers, in near-canon fanfictions...  
  
I'm sorry, but I'm getting VERY TIRED OF IT. Jim Bader's characters were just fine. Having two or three, even forty or fifty fanfictions not by him using them was fine.  
  
But when you realize that every other fanfiction you read includes ALL of the stuff of Jim Bader's that was copied, you get very bored of it, very quickly.  
  
This problem has died down somewhat, but it's still there. I'm not going to say you're evil or anything for all copying him, but I will say this...  
  
Please, PLEASE... if you want to add characters onto the standard Ranma cast, do it a little originally.  
  
Another few things that happen all the time that are less annoying but still bug me:  
  
Everyone names Souun's deceased wife Kimiko. Most Akane/Ranma fanfictions involve sudden, radical change in one or both of the main characters which brings about the romance. Most people writing Someone-other-than- Akane/Ranma mention that they hate Ranma/Akane fanfictions. Ryooga's mother is always named Hitomi. Ryooga being seen as either a righteous, beaten-down underdog or as a complete and utter bastard and spineless wimp. The way Shampoo either is a total bimbo or a plotting, conniving shrew. People assuming both that multiple-marriages are common in Amazon culture and that all of the standard non-Amazon characters would have serious problems with this.  
  
By the by, I have no problem with the whole multi-partner-marriage thing. It's just that every time one happens in a fanfiction, ALL the other characters ALSO wind up in multi-partner-marriages. Polyandry (loving more than one person at once) is entirely possible, but it sure as hell isn't that common. Please don't consider it a solution to EVERYTHING. In the end, it only makes things more boring to have it happen to all of the characters at once.  
  
Finally, something that bugs me whenever I see it- Every time someone other than Ranma goes on that trip, when they come back, they have their hair like Ranma does, they fight just like Ranma does, they have multiple engagements like Ranma does- but Ranma still saves their butt all the time. That just doesn't make sense.  
  
Whew. Glad to get that outta my system, sorry if you didn't really need to read that.  
  
THIS MARKS THE END OF THE SHORT RANT  
  
PART FIVE  
  
Things that there should be more of:  
  
I have noticed that there are very few plain Ranma/Shampoo, Ranma/Kodachi, or Ranma/Kasumi matchups. This strikes me as interesting, considering that these are often among the best-written romance Ranma fics I've read. Ranma/Kodachi and Ranma/Shampoo because it requires a lot of thought to bring it to the point where the pairing can happen, and Ranma/Kasumi because, well, let's face it- noone wants to do the whole protector/protected thing, because it'll look kinda phony, so these often have interesting bases for the relationship.  
  
Anyways, I'd like to see some people try writing a few more of those.  
  
Also, I'd like to see a Ranma/Akane where Ryooga ends up with someone other than Ukyoo or Akari, and ends up there willingly, without heartbreak over anyone OTHER than Akane. 'Cos that doesn't happen too often.  
  
Perhaps an Ah! My Goddess! crossover where Ranma DOESN'T become a god at the very beginning of the fic- that would be interesting to see.  
  
Any fanfiction where Ranma learns new skills and things but does not become super-powerful.  
  
And, you know, a Ranma/Sailor Moon crossover that was actually good wouldn't hurt. I've seen some of these, but they usually only last one or two short little chapters before the writer, for whatever strange reason, has stopped writing it. There have been a couple of good ones that were completed, however. For instance, the 'Sailor Ranma/ Twice in a Millenium" two-fic series was good.  
  
There's one other standard-Ranma matchup I'd like to see more of, since it's pretty much never done (wierd since almost every other one is done six ways until Sunday), but I won't say it, since it'll ruin something else I'm writing if I do.  
  
Gee. I have too much time on my hands, huh.......  
  
Oh, well. That's it for this time! Come back later for the next chapter, once I've written it! ....whenever that is.... 


	34. Book Four, Chapter 7: The Ice, of Course...

Kodora frowned at Kasumi. "Are you sure you want to go back there again? That Mikado dimwit might be there again."  
  
*You know, Kodora, I STILL can't believe he could think she was that old.*  
  
*I dunno, Ranma. Maybe he's like Tatebaka.*  
  
*Could be.*  
  
Kasumi just smiled sunnily in return. "I'm sure he isn't. And if he is, I'll just stay away from him. I hate to miss out on an opportunity to go skating."  
  
******  
  
"Daddy, you've got to be kidding me. One day was bad enough."  
  
"Only because you weren't used to it. Kasumi-chan deserves time off, don't you think?"  
  
Nabiki was not happy.  
  
"Of course, I agree, but why should I have to do her CHORES while she's at the rink???"  
  
Souun sighed. "Because, Nabiki, even if you don't ever become a traditional Japanese housewife, you may spend some time living alone. And then you'll need to know how to do this sort of thing for yourself, no matter that you plan on having a career. Why, I remember that before I met your mother or... the Master..." Souun paused to shudder, then continued. "That I had to cook for myself for two full years. I even did the cleaning."  
  
"Besides," He finished. "You said that ice skating was a frivolous activity, and you couldn't afford to spend any of your time on something so unnecessary. This IS necessary."  
  
Nabiki groaned. She couldn't believe her father, who until recently had had the world's limpest noodle for a spine, had out-argued her.  
  
"Fine. I'll do it. But no more after this! Got it?"  
  
Souun smiled. "Unless you ask for it." And with that, he left her room.  
  
"Right." Stated Nabiki. "Unless I.... Wait a minute...."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger Chapter 29: The Ice, Of Course!  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to Having a Nice Day.  
  
Disclaimer: No. I won't say it. You can figure it out on your own. ::sees lawyers standing behind her:: Then again....  
  
English and some sound effects are in . Japanese is in " ". Chinese is in { }. Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs are in [ ]. Ranma/Kodora mental conversations are in * *.  
  
Note: I have talked to some Chinese people I know, and according to one of them, the correct way to spell the name for which Shampoo is a misnomer is "San Po_". She was unable to provide which letter belongs in the blank. Until I have confirmed the real spellings of the Chinese names, I shall continue as I have been. **************************************************************************** *************  
  
Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High (though he was considering changing it to Earthen Warrior, which was as close as he was willing to get to "Dirty Gay Mud Paddle"), was curious.  
  
Now, some people would argue that the poor sot hadn't enough brain to be curious with. Others would argue that he was too insane to be curious. A few would go so far as to claim that the concept of curiosity was completely beyond him. Now, as many of these people are among my favorite fanfiction authors, I refuse to state that they are always wrong. They would be in this instance, though.  
  
Whichever way it was, Tatewaki Kuno was curious. He had heard many times about this odd custom known as 'ice skating'. When his sister watched the Olympics, he occasionally watched some of it. And he didn't understand it at all.  
  
In other words, no amount of rationalizing that many people were stupid, ignorant, or uncouth could explain the tradition of sticking a couple of knives on your feet and sliding around on a big flat chunk of frozen water.  
  
And now even the Feral Kami was apparently deriving enjoyment from this strange game. Therefore, as loath as he was to admit it, Tatewaki had to believe that he was wrong, and that there was something to it. As he was pondering earlier the morning in question, he had remembered a promise he made to his mother long, long ago. He had promised that he would never scorn something without trying it. It had taken a long time for him to recall the promise, but now that he did...  
  
Which was why he was sitting on a bench with his bokken across his lap, waiting for Sasuke to finish tying his skates on. Then he would go out on the ice and determine for himself if this odd sport was worthwhile. Maybe he would be very good at it. Then he could impress the Feral Kami and perhaps gain some favor from her. He could see it now....  
  
"Oh, my Feral Kami!" He would say, "Watch how graceful and strong I am on the ice!" "Oh, my Earthen Warrior!" She would reply, "You are truely great, to become so skilled in this sport so quickly! Come, and glide across the ice with me!" Then she would continue sweetly, "You are the only man for me! Come, embrace me! Yo, Kuno, howzit going?"  
  
The ersatz kendoist shook his head. "Nani?"  
  
Ranma repeated himself. "I said, 'Howzit going', Kuno."  
  
Tatewaki looked up and saw the Feral Kami in her often-used male form, standing there with Kasumi and his less-beloved-than-the-feral-kami-but- still-wonderful Akane. Behind them stood the tall, thin man known as Souun Tendoo. All of them were wearing ice skates.  
  
******  
  
Saotome Genma was a panda. This was nothing unusual. The reason WHY he was a panda at the moment, however, was.  
  
The bucket he was currently wearing over his head WAS unusual, but only to be expected. As was the fact that Nabiki was standing on him so she could reach high up on the walls.  
  
She really didn't understand how Kasumi had managed to clean these corners, and had just spilled her third bucket of soapy water on Genma.  
  
At least he was a very clean panda at the moment.  
  
******  
  
"I don't see why I hafta." Grumbled Ryooga, as Akane dragged him towards the rink.  
  
"Because once you learn to do it, it's fun! Besides, I can't skate with 'Toosan, because Kasumi's teaching him and Ranma to skate right now!"  
  
"Well..." the Lost Boy delayed, "Why don't you teach Ranma and Kasumi teaches me?"  
  
Akane began to growl a little. "Are you saying you don't think I can teach you?"  
  
Ryooga paled slightly, hoping fervently that a mallet wouldn't be involved with him anytime soon. "No, no, of course not! Fine! I'll go! Really!"  
  
Akane blinked, then shook her head. Ryooga was acting almost like... naaah. Couldn't be. After all, he wasn't acting perverted like the boys at school did. Shrugging, she led him out onto the ice, narrowly missing a caroming Souun.  
  
"Kasumi-chan! Heeeelp!"  
  
Kasumi followed rapidly, a somewhat unsteady Ranma in tow. "'Toosan, just head for the side barrier. You should be fine!"  
  
Souun looked for a steering wheel, a lever, a joystick, SOMETHING....  
  
..and fell over the barrier wall just like the previous day.  
  
"OOF!"  
  
Kasumi slid to an abrupt halt. Ranma, not so fortunate, continued into the wall, inertia ripping his hand free of Kasumi's. He performed an almost perfect duplicate maneuver to Souun's.  
  
"ACK!"  
  
Kasumi sighed, looking at the two pairs of ice skates sticking up over the wall. This wasn't working. "See? I told you, just steer for the edge..."  
  
Souun sat up, peering over the edge of the barrier. "But... I didn't MEAN to do that..."  
  
"Ah, how wonderful that you are here, Tendoo Kasumi! It is excellent to see that you are attempting to instruct your family in the enjoyment of -oof-"  
  
Sasuke popped up out of the middle of the ice, somehow having been camoflauged. "Master, please pay attention to the lessons."  
  
Tatewaki, clinging to the barrier, nodded. "Verily, my aide, I can see that I do require more experience in this unusual sport before I can claim mastery. Let the skating continue!"  
  
And with that, the ersatz kendoist shoved the wall and slid off in a random direction, occasionally using his bokken to steer.  
  
Ranma looked around. "Hey, where'd that short guy go?"  
  
Souun blinked. "How odd. He must have been one of the fabled ninja, to disappear so suddenly from plain view."  
  
Ranma quirked up one eyebrow as he stood up. "Yeah right. You just don't wanna admit you weren't payin' attention to him."  
  
Kasumi just smiled a bit at that, and Souun 'hmph'ed and decided to let it pass.  
  
"Anyways," He began, standing up as well. "I think- ow!"  
  
Kasumi slid to the barrier, and looked at her father, who was clutching his side. "'Toosan! Are you alright?"  
  
Souun, bent over slightly, wheezed a bit. "I'll be... fine, Kasumi. Just a bit of a cramp. You two go on ahead. I'll just take a bit of a break, okay?"  
  
Ranma frowned. "Y' sure about that, Mr. Tendoo? Ya coulda pulled something..."  
  
Souun grinned a bit. "No, just a cramp, son. I'm not exactly young, you know."  
  
*Not exactly old, either. At least he's getting some more exercise now that we're here, ne, Ranma?*  
  
*Un.*  
  
Kasumi nodded. "All right, then. Go ahead and rest as long as you need. I'll just stay here and teach Ranma some more, okay 'Toosan?"  
  
Souun nodded as Ranma clambered over the barrier. Kasumi pulled Ranma a short ways out onto the ice.  
  
"Now," She began, skating slowly backwards as she pulled Ranma along. "Just like with Kodora-chan, I'll pull you along, you just slide along too. Try to find the best way to put your feet, and relax- get used to moving on the ice, okay?"  
  
Souun watched Kasumi and Ranma continue the circuit of the rink until they were about a quarter of the way further around. Glancing to either side, he straightened up and turned to walk towards the rest area, whistling cheerily, until he was interrupted by quiet clapping.  
  
Stopping, the Tendoo patriarch looked around and spotted a tall young woman with deep green hair, wearing some sort of robes, also wearing skates. She was looking straight at him with dusty-jade eyes and applauding quietly, smiling slightly. As he looked at her, she stopped clapping, and calmly walked up to him.  
  
"You are... very skillful at that."  
  
Souun blinked. "What do you mean?"  
  
The strange woman smiled a bit broader. "You aren't fooling me, you know. I saw the whole thing."  
  
Souun grimaced. "It was that obvious? I hope they didn't notice..."  
  
The green-haired lady laughed quietly. "Of course not. One is too busy being the teacher, and the other is far too focused on learning from the teacher. Not that they would have noticed otherwise. I am very... perceptive compared to most people."  
  
Souun nodded, sitting down on a bench to remove his skates. "You have to understand, I'm not trying to force them together or anything. But I have to provide the opportunity- it's a matter of family honor."  
  
A green eyebrow was quirked up. "Oh? Please explain."  
  
Souun eyed the quiet woman for a moment, then shrugged and finished removing his skates. As long as he didn't give any specifics, it would probably be alright. The lady didn't seem too dangerous, anyways. Now, how would Nabiki put it...  
  
"Well," he began , indoor-shoes replaced, as he headed to return the skates. "There was a promise made between two men, my friend and myself. We practice two branches of a martial art, and promised each other that our children would marry, so that the two branches would once again be merged. As it turned out, I wound up with three daughters, and my friend had a son. All of our children are within three years of age from each other, so any way is open and would fulfill family honor." He turned to head to the exit after leaving a note with the man at the counter. To his surprise, he noticed that the lady had not removed her skates, but, strangely, was not wearing them anymore. He quickly shrugged it off as a Nerima thing, however. "Anyways, because of that, I have to leave all things open. I really don't care which of my daughters he marries, so long as the agreement is mutual between them, and neither of them comes out unhappy from it."  
  
The lady nodded as they passed through the doors. "I see. You are handling it quite well, from what I saw. By the way, my name is Sin Ku."  
  
"Sink?"  
  
"No, Sin Ku. Although you may call me that if you prefer, it is easier to say for some."  
  
Souun nodded. "I am Tendoo Souun. It is good to meet you, Sin Ku. Although, I haven't seen you around here before- are you new to Nerima?"  
  
Sin Ku nodded. "I and a few relatives are opening up a hon-ya near Furinkan High- we noticed that there aren't many bookstores in this city."  
  
Souun nodded. "Good luck, and good day." He bowed, then headed for the Tendoo-ke.  
  
Sin Ku smiled as she watched him wander off. "Indeed a good man. The Japanese are such... interesting people. I wonder at his connection to the demon, though."  
  
"But, Miki-channnnnn!"  
  
Mikado, walking by with Azusa, grumbled. "I said, no. You can't have my mother's scarf. You know, there ARE other scarfs out there."  
  
"But Azusa wants her Michelle!!!!"  
  
Sin Ku chuckled as she walked away, thinking to herself.  
  
Interesting people indeed.  
  
Mikado continued towards the ice rink. "Azusa, there ARE lines you should not cross. My parents' antique posessions are among them."  
  
Azusa pouted all the way to the rink.  
  
******  
  
Ranma smiled at Kasumi, who smiled back.  
  
"See?" She said, leading him along, now without using her hands. "I knew you would get it eventually."  
  
Ranma nodded. "You know, Kodora was right- this IS fun!"  
  
Kasumi almost grinned. "Kodora-chan usually is about fun."  
  
*Geez, Oniisan, I'm blushing here. I'm not that good."  
  
Ranma chuckled as he took another turn. "Imootochan doesn't agree with you on that."  
  
Kasumi frowned slightly for a moment, then returned to her normal smile. "Well, this time she's wrong."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Ano- look out, Kasumi! Behind you!"  
  
Kasumi abruptly changed course by ninety degrees, sliding to one side, as Ryooga passed through the space she had occupied a moment ago.  
  
"Aw, cru-"  
  
Ranma was cut off as Ryooga accidentally shoved both of them through the barrier wall, crumbling a small section.  
  
"Ow."  
  
"Hey, Ryooga. Couldja stop sitting on my head?"  
  
Ryooga grimaced. "Sorry, Ranma." He got up, and latched onto the wall before his feet could slide out from under him.  
  
"Oh, my... Are you alright, Ranma, Ryooga?"  
  
Ranma sat up. "I'm fine. Hey, Ryooga, where's Akane? Weren't you with her?" He clambered to his feet, brushing pieces of foam padding and wood off of his clothes.  
  
"I don't know." Answered Ryooga. "She's still on the ice, I think- She was showing me how to turn, and suddenly, I lost control."  
  
Ranma chuckled. "Lost yer way again, huh?"  
  
Ryooga grimaced. "'S not funny."  
  
"Is ta me."  
  
*It is a little funny, Oniisan, but you still shouldn't laugh at 'im.*  
  
*But-*  
  
*It's polite, Ranma, okay?*  
  
*Well.... fine.*  
  
"Sorry, Ryooga. I guess I shouldn'ta laughed at ya."  
  
"Oh, my! Imootochan!"  
  
Ranma and Ryooga immediately traced Kasumi's gaze to the middle of the ice, where some strange man was, for lack of a better word, manhandling Akane. It was a little indistinct at this distance, but it seemed like he was forcing her to bend back. Kasumi, Ranma, and Ryooga all headed for Akane, but long before they could get there, two things happened.  
  
Akane hit Mikado in the face with her fist, and Ryooga hit the ice in the surface with his face. Kasumi stopped to help Ryooga up, while Ranma continued on ahead to Akane, who met him halfway.  
  
"Hey, what gives, Akane? What was that all about?"  
  
Akane growled. "Pervert. Damned pervert was trying to kiss me. Guess I showed him."  
  
"Young lady!"  
  
"Maybe ya didn't, Akane- here he comes."  
  
"Young lady, please allow me to tender unto you my greeting! I am merely trying to be sociable..."  
  
"Oh, my, trying to kiss someone you don't know? I'm afraid that's rather rude..."  
  
Mikado took a moment to think. "Very well then, miss, what is your name?"  
  
Kasumi blinked. "Ano.... Tendoo Kasumi."  
  
Mikado nodded, immediately sweeping in, seeing that he had a chance to add a kiss to his roster and make an apology at the same time. "Very well then, miss, my name is Sanzenin Mikado. Please take this as an apology for my assumption yesterday."  
  
Everyone stood stunned as he leaned in to try and kiss Kasumi.  
  
Only to be stopped by Azusa, who slid in from the side, taking his legs out from under him. Kasumi began to blush slightly, and everyone else just stared as the two slid along the ice to stop, amazingly, in standing positions. Kasumi belatedly turned her attention to the two skaters not from her group.  
  
"Miki-chan has no time to chase after frumpy old women. It's time to practice!"  
  
Kasumi blinked.  
  
Akane fumed. "Frumpy?? OLD??? Why, you-" She had begun to advance on the two 'professionals, but was stopped by Ranma's hand in the way.  
  
Ranma's glowing hand.  
  
Ranma glared at Azusa. "Excuse me." He said in a voice colder than the ice he stood on. "Did you just call Kasumi a frumpy old woman?"  
  
Azusa blinked, and thought a moment. "Yes. Why? Did Azusa-chan stutter or mumble?"  
  
If looks were weapons, Azusa would have been nuked.  
  
Ranma left his glare on her for a moment. "Excuse me, I'll be right back. Stay RIGHT THERE."  
  
Ranma turned to Kasumi, surprised to notice a gloomy air settled around the older girl. He looked to Akane, gesturing her towards Kasumi. Then he turned and, in dead silence, left the ice, in the direction of the skate- rental area. Specifically heading towards a vending machine.  
  
Azusa snorted. "As if Azusa needs to listen to horrible-skating boy." Then she noticed Ryoga. "Oh, YOU're here."  
  
Ryooga growled at Azusa, while Akane stood quietly talking to Kasumi, wondering what Ranma was up to.  
  
Mikado gave Ryooga a cursory glance, and began to chuckle.  
  
Ryooga turned to Mikado. "What are YOU laughing at?!"  
  
"Heh- you don't belong out here, boy." Stated Mikado, sneering at the shorter, stockier boy. "You've got the balance of a bloated elephant. You're a disgrace to the ice. Get out of my rink."  
  
Ryooga snarled. "It's not YOUR rink, you lecher. I'll skate where I want to."  
  
"Hah! You call that skating?!? You couldn't ROLLER skate!"  
  
"Oh, yeah, girly-boy??"  
  
"What did you call me?"  
  
"I called you girly. You gotta PROBLEM with that??"  
  
Mikado skated up to Ryooga, and poked him in the chest. "I'll have you know that fine features like those of the Sanzenin family are the epitome of manliness!"  
  
Ryooga snorted. "Makes ya look like a crossdresser if ya ask me."  
  
"Well, at least I'm not a half-Oni brat!"  
  
Ryooga suddenly went quiet. "Excuse me," he said very softly, and politely. "What did you just call me?"  
  
Mikado sneered again. "You heard me, halfbreed. I can see your fangs."  
  
Ryooga cleared his throat. "Mikado Sanzenin...."  
  
Suddenly, he lunged at the other boy. "PREPARE TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Unfortunately, he had forgotten he was on the ice. Mikado easily slid out of the way, while Ryoga flopped on the ground from his sudden movement.  
  
"Hmph." Stated Mikado. "You haven't a clue what you're doing, do you?"  
  
Ryoga clambered up to a cross-legged sitting position, and reached down to his ice skates. With a pair of metallic screeches, he removed the blades, leaving the two supports on the bottom of either shoe. As he stood up, he stabbed them into the ice, holding himself steady.  
  
Mikado blinked. Then he frowned. "You have damaged my sacred ice rink. You will pay for this."  
  
With a growl, Ryoga launched himself at Mikado. "IT AIN'T YOUR FREAKING RINK, PRETTY-BOY!!!!"  
  
Mikado slid to the side again, but Ryoga flung a foot wide as he spun to land, catching the taller boy in the shoulder.  
  
Sliding away some, Mikado rubbed his shoulder, turning a lazy arc back towards the lost boy. "That was a mistake, boy. You'll pay now."  
  
And with that, he suddenly accelerated, dashing for Ryoga.  
  
Azusa, still standing to the side, began cheering. "Go, Miki! You can take him!"  
  
Meanwhile, most of the other people had cleared out of the rink.  
  
"Akane-san, what is going on here? 'Twould seem that your friend is assaulting another skater..."  
  
Akane grimaced. "That 'other skater' is some creep named Sanzenin. He's insulting, and a pervert. He tried to kiss me, and then he had the nerve to have a go at Kasumi!"  
  
Tatewaki Kuno blinked, and turned to watch Mikado and Ryooga go at it.  
  
Although, as the case was, it was more a matter of Mikado going at it. Ryooga was having serious trouble- his makeshift pitons were slowing him down almost as much as falling would, and although the lost boy was tough, he simply wasn't giving anywhere near as good as he got- it was obvious this was a losing fight for him.  
  
Noting this, Kuno slid out towards the fight, interposing his bokken. "HOLD!"  
  
He turned to Mikado, pointing his bokken. "Vile miscreant, I shall smite thee! I do hereby challenge -oof-" Broke off Kuno, sent flying by Ryooga's casual backhand.  
  
"Outta the way, moron!" Shouted Ryooga, going in for an all out charge against Mikado.  
  
Which failed when he tripped, fell on his face, and slid into the sidewall.  
  
Mikado harrumphed. "Give up now, halfbreed. You'll never beat me."  
  
Azusa cheered. "Go Miki Go! You're the best!"  
  
Someone tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"What do you.... want???"  
  
Everyone nearby turned as they finally noticed a distinct blue glow. Standing behind Azusa was an enraged Kodora. The red irises of her eyes were almost crystalline-hard, and her tail was lashing wildly. Her anger was not the least impaired by the red-and-black chinese clothing she was swamped in. Her quills actually helped the effect, unbound and sticking out in all directions like the result of an exploded porcupine.  
  
Ryooga sat up against the wall he'd slid into, and watched dazedly.  
  
Kasumi continued to stand there gloomily.  
  
Akane watched, waiting for the inevitable explosion.  
  
Mikado looked on in surprise at the diminutive girl, who was even shorter than his skating partner. He suffered a momentary flashback of the day before when that 'Kasumi Tendoo' girl had been with the short girl.  
  
And he realized that this girl was seriously pissed off about what her sister had been called. Maybe he should help his partner out here?  
  
Azusa 'eep'ed and started sliding backwards rapidly, aiming to get away from the fanged girl.  
  
No such luck. Kodora hopped slightly, digging the serrated toes of her ice skate blades into the ice on her landing, and then launched herself into the air, aimed perfectly.  
  
Unfortunately, as anyone can tell you, time does not stop while people are in midair, and so Kodora crashed down facefirst into the ice considerably behind the other girl, who had zagged out of the way.  
  
Akane blinked. "She did that with her face??? Doesn't that hurt??"  
  
Indeed it had. Kodora slowly sat up in the middle of a small crater full of broken ice, looking very dazed. Her face was all red, and her nose was bloody, perhaps broken.  
  
"Ow." She opined. Then- "I don't think I got that right...." Which she followed by passing out.  
  
Akane winced, and began looking for hot water.  
  
Ryooga, on hands and knees, handed her a thermos.  
  
Akane piku-pikued.  
  
"Emergency supply." He offered. Then he turned to go after Mikado again. While Azusa was distracted again with the fight, Akane took the opportunity to pour the water over Ranma, who jumped up before it could freeze his clothes to the ground.  
  
"Thags, Agade."  
  
Ranma winced, and reached up to his nose, which looked a little... twisted. Putting both hands over it, he moved his hands slightly.  
  
grnnch  
  
Akane looked a little queasy. Ranma sniffed, dropped his hands, and looked at her. "Why's Ryooga going after Mikadope?"  
  
"Um... Sanzenin was insulting him, calling him half-Oni and all..."  
  
Ryooga flew into the small crater, landing with a slight crunch of breaking ice. He tried to get up again. "Dammit! I said, take it BACK!!!"  
  
Ranma put his hand on Ryooga's shoulder. "Hold on, Ryooga."  
  
Ryooga glared up at Ranma. "No way! He called me-"  
  
Ranma nodded. "I know. But it's obvious you can't take him right now. I have an idea."  
  
Ryooga frowned. "What is it?"  
  
Ranma leaned over and began whispering to Ryooga.  
  
Mikado, still wary, headed directly for Kasumi again.  
  
"Where were we?"  
  
Kasumi didn't answer, still looking depressed.  
  
"Ah, yes. An apology, I believe. Here, let me..." Mikado lifted her head slightly, leaning in towards her.  
  
SMAKK  
  
Akane froze, blinking, hand still pulled back in preparation to slap the pervert silly. Kasumi froze, right arm crossed over her body. Mikado just spun in place from the blow for a little bit.  
  
Akane's jaw worked slowly, but no words were coming out.  
  
Mikado finally stopped spinning, looking a little dizzy.  
  
Ranma skated up to Kasumi, while Azusa skated up to Mikado.  
  
Ranma fixed a steady glare on Mikado, who was still steadying himself.  
  
Akane continued to stare at Kasumi, jaw still going for a moment before the gears on her voicebox caught.  
  
"Kasumi.... hit someone??????"  
  
"You." Stated Ranma, aiming the word at Mikado. The taller boy looked over at him. "What is it YOU want??"  
  
Ranma continued to glare. "You have insulted my friend AND you have tried to kiss unwilling girls who are also my friends several times today. It's obvious you know how to fight. I challenge you."  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Waha. And things get moving again.  
  
Someone mentioned something about chapter lengths... Sorry, I just write a chapter until I'm done writing for a while, then cut off at an appropriate spot and say "chapter break here". Lengths are totally up to how much writing I feel like doing at the time. Sorry to bother you with bad cut- off-points.  
  
As for the Interlude- sorry about the 'stats' thing, when I typed it out on my computer, it came out as a table, not a paragraph...  
  
I swear. It's annoying, you know? FF.Net seems to remove my italics and bold, does strange things to indentation and lines that aren't double- spaced, and on top of that, whenever I try to put three periods to indicate a pause, it comes out as one.  
  
I guess maybe I should start using Word 6.0 instead of WordPad, but still... annoying.  
  
Anyways.  
  
Now Sin Ku has met Souun Tendoo. Nabiki's learning to keep house, and Ranma and Kodora are learning to skate. Kasumi's hit someone, Kuno's skating, and Souun has a plan.  
  
All SORTS of wonderful things going on.  
  
Like the little surprise at the end?  
  
Betcha thought Kodora was gonna be in the Skating Match.  
  
Well, she still might be.  
  
Just, not in Ranma's place. She's not there to replace Ranma. More like to supplement him.  
  
Anyways, next chapter when next chapter.  
  
Ja ne!  
  
"When the gorilla playfully grabbed the wurm's tail, the wurm doubled back and playfully ate the gorilla's head." -Flavor text, Yavimaya Wurm, Magic: The Gathering 


	35. Book Four, Interlude 2: A memorial of Se...

Passenger A special Interlude  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to those who died on Sept. 11th, 2001, all those who have died since, and all of you out there who have realized that the right thing to do is help people every day, and remember this always and constantly, not just yearly.  
  
No key is necessary for this Interlude.  
  
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Kasumi woke up slowly, and sat up. Something was wrong again. She looked at the clock. It was 4 in the morning. A glance around confirmed what was wrong- Kodora was gone again. She was not sure what could have gotten the smaller girl up at this time- even the other time this had happened, Kodora had woken up at nearly six.  
  
Worried, she got out of bed, donning a modest robe over her equally opaque blue nightgown, and stepped out of her room. She closed the door quietly behind her and looked up and down the hallway.  
  
None of the other bedroom doors were open, so most likely the petite martial artist was somewhere downstairs.  
  
Heading down the stairs, Kasumi began to become puzzled. None of the lights were on, and there was no sound in the house. Where could Kodora have gone?  
  
******  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
Ranma, currently awake and actually not unhappy about it, sighed from within Kodora's head.  
  
*Imooto-chan, relax. You'll never get it if you don't relax.*  
  
Kodora sighed, wiped the sweat from her brow, and took up her stance again.  
  
*I know, Ranma. But I have to get this right. It's the only other way I can think of to make sure I always remember it- you know how my memory works.*  
  
*'Kay, then, but ya gotta relax.*  
  
*Right.*  
  
*Okay, now, concentrate...*  
  
Kodora seemed to draw into herself, spreading her stance. Gradually, she stood with her knees straight out to either side, feet flat on the floor pointing away from her. Her elbows rested on her knees, with her hands, clawlike, palm-out to the sides.  
  
Then, she focused on the memory.  
  
*There... I have it....*  
  
******  
  
It was her semester off between high school and college. It wasn't by choice though. Not even a month ago, she had missed the cut-off date for adding classes, because she'd forgotten it. That had been a row. Her parents had ripped her up one side and down the other over it.  
  
Of course, since she wasn't going to school, she was going to have to get a job. One out of two at least, her mother had said. So, she had gone looking and found one, in a local fast food store.  
  
She was relaxing, not even listening to the radio. Work began at 9:00, so she had an hour and a half before she had to leave. She was already wearing the uniform, black slacks and a black polo with red and green on the collar and sleeve ends. And the little golden 'Arby's' logo on the left breast of the shirt. She had just finished a bowl of cereal and was debating whether to brush her teeth or get something else to eat.  
  
Beedleedleedlee  
  
She blinked, and slid off of the stool. Who on earth would be calling at this hour?? Even telemarketers didn't start THIS early...  
  
Beedleedlee-  
  
Click  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Oh, you're home."  
  
"...Dad?"  
  
"Turn on the television."  
  
"What? Is something-"  
  
"Just turn it on. I've got to get to work. See you when I get home."  
  
Click  
  
She stared at the phone for an instant, before hanging it up and ducking from the kitchen through her father's office to the living room.  
  
"I wonder what..."  
  
She turned on the television, set to channel 7.  
  
There was fire, and smoke, and...  
  
"I.... know that building..."  
  
They showed the building, part of it not on fire that had been a moment ago. That was shortly fixed by what was definitely a very large passenger airplane.  
  
"Oh, shit.... that's the world trade center..."  
  
She had her shoes and jacket on already, so she simply sat down on the heavy oak coffee table, and stared at the television.  
  
"What on earth..."  
  
It was like watching a train wreck. Actually, she didn't know that, having never seen one. But that was the phrase used.  
  
All the people in the top twenty floors or so... it was horrible.... and the people on the planes...  
  
She sat and watched for half an hour, unable to remove her eyes from the screen, not even putting down the remote.  
  
Then one began to fall...  
  
She hadn't cried more than twice since she was thirteen. After all, if it doesn't do anybody any good, why bother?  
  
She was too shocked to cry.  
  
She looked at her watch.  
  
8:45.  
  
Numbly, she turned off the television, put down the remote, and made sure her nametag was in her pocket.  
  
She left the walkman behind- she couldn't bear the thought of listening to the radio.  
  
***  
  
She stood behind the counter, not even a false smile on her face.  
  
While she had walked to work, the other tower had fallen. She knew, because there was a television in the dining room- it was always on during business hours.  
  
The room was almost empty. Then again, it usually was at that time of day. She wasn't expecting much of a lunch rush, though. It may be San Francisco the restaurant was in, but even across the nation, this wouldn't be something to ignore.  
  
She finally allowed herself to think for a minute. She didn't even last that long before she had to stop.  
  
*I can't think about it... I have to be able to cheer people up...* She thought, wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
It was a slow day for the restaurant.  
  
***  
  
She sat on her bed, finally at home, at five thirty, finally changed out of the uniform.  
  
She remembered every one of them who came in to buy food that day. Some weren't so bad, just the neutral face of someone trying not to care too much, because there was work to be done. They could converse as usual.  
  
Others, some of whom might have had friends who died there, simply looked sad. There was an almost palpable air of depression about them.  
  
She herself had simply existed. Even now she couldn't believe that anyone could order something so unqualifiably evil to be done and live with themself.  
  
She cried a little, but not much. She only wished she could have done more.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi peered into the dark dojo. She noted, to her surprise, that her breath was visible in the blue-green glow.  
  
Kodora stood in the strange stance, totally silent, tears streaming down her face. Then she began to move, keeping her feet out, knees at right angles, calves perpendicular to the floor. She slowly moved her arms. Every motion heightened the blue-green glow of her aura. Her torso twisted one way, then another, touching both hands together to one shin, palms flat, then to the other. She motioned upwards, pushing up with her palms, her aura peaking with the luminescence of a nightlight. Then she put her hands out.  
  
"Twin Towers Falling Kata...." Spoke the quill-haired girl, pausing.  
  
"Buatsui Seishou."(Heavy Spirit Energy) She stated, bringing her hands down slowly, palms-down, collapsing to her knees. The aura flowed out into a plane, and came down slowly, to match her hands. Everywhere it had been, it created a thick, cold fog,glowing a soft blue-green. Kasumi was barely able to make out Kodora as she completed the motion, flattening herself to the floor, then the fog thickened, obscuring everything in the dojo despite the soft glow. Kasumi made her way carefully into the dojo, through the fog, nearly stumbling over the tiny girl, who was curled up on the floor, knees to her chest, crying silently. Kasumi bent down to check on her.  
  
Kodora smiled sadly up at her. "Ohayoo, oneechan. Don't ask... Just... let me tell you a story about something that happened where I came from..."  
  
Kasumi nodded, helping the smaller girl up.  
  
******  
  
Kasumi sat by the table, looking at Kodora through the dim candlelight.  
  
"That's so horrible, Kodora-chan... no wonder you were crying..."  
  
Kodora frowned at Kasumi, an occasional tear still making its way down her cheeks. "No, Kasumi, you don't understand yet..."  
  
Kasumi blinked. "But, I thought it was all those people dying for no reason..."  
  
Kodora shook her head, her quills rattling softly with a sussurating sound.  
  
"It IS that, but there's so much more... you see, after it happened, my father was upset that I didn't seem to be particularly interested in the political effects of the whole thing- he yelled and urged me to look into this. And I found something so much more disturbing..."  
  
Kasumi took a sip of her tea, and waited for her sister to continue.  
  
"Kasumi-oneechan, this sort of thing happens all the time. Not always where everyone can see it. It happens in South America, in Africa, in the Middle East... I looked into it- in terms of human lives, the World Trade Center thing was small compared to most of them.  
  
"And that's what's so horrible about it all. The whole thing could have been so powerful- a wake-up call for all the politicians and all the people who thought the US was all that mattered. A way of saying, 'Hey! Look at all of this out there! Maybe you should do something about it?' You know, get the U.S.A. involved in the outside world in helping, not just in bombing those who are thought to be wrong.  
  
"But that's not what happened. Instead, it became a patriotism thing. Flags ran rampant. Everything was about this horrible attack on the U.S.A., as if things like this only happened once in a century. The president declared war on terrorism. Do you realize how silly that is?  
  
"How do you kill terrorism? What do you shoot at? You can't walk down the street and point terrorists out. The nation started bombing Afghan. Nevermind the Afghanis innocent of any great wrongdoing. As long as terrorists get shot up, who cares?  
  
"That's what makes me so sad about it. Noone woke up. We went from one extreme to the other. Before, you could carry a 12 inch blade on an airplane. What on earth would you want with a hunting knife on an airplane? How many people bring wildebeest they need to skin as carry-on luggage? Then, afterwards, you couldn't carry on a pair of nail clippers or soft plastic knitting needles. Were they afraid people would climb out and slowly file the wings off of the airplane?  
  
"And all the people who could have gone out and done nice things for people, in an attempt to balance it out...  
  
"For me it's been about half a year. I hate to say it, but I seriously doubt that by the time a year has passed, everyone will be anything but numb to the whole thing."  
  
Kodora tossed back her whole mug of tea, ignoring the way it burned her mouth. Kasumi watched, tears standing in her eyes.  
  
Kodora looked at her again, with sad red eyes. "The worst part of all, is... that happened in 2001. Here we are, in 1994. And no matter how hard I try, noone would ever believe me that this will happen. At least, noone important. So all I can do is hope that my being here will have enough of an impact to prevent it. And maybe, just maybe, I can be there on that day. Just in case. If even one more person lives because of me, regardless of if I have to sacrifice myself, it will be worth it. Until then, I can only remember it." She sighed, and shook her head again.  
  
Kasumi put her hand on Kodora's shoulder. "Then, what you were doing in the dojo..."  
  
The small martial artist nodded. "With Ranma's help, I was making a kata to commemorate it. Even if it will never happened, I have to make sure something good comes of it. So I will do what I can to ensure it is remembered. The kata and the technique... if I can manage to create something new in martial arts, a new school, those will be in it. The Twin Towers Falling kata. Still, that isn't all. There's something else, something more concrete."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "What is it, Imootochan?"  
  
Kodora reached back into the black ribbon around her quills. Kasumi blinked, only just noticing that the usual white ribbon was missing. There was a crinkling sound, and Kodora drew forth a small piece of paper, with some writing on it. A Japanese translation rested above each line, rendering it legible in either language. Slowly, quietly, Kasumi read it aloud.  
  
So many people died today But life will still go on Of hope was not a single ray But life will still go on A war begins so far away But life, it still goes on And lives are made, and thrown away And life, it still goes on I always look around and see The hate and strife surrounding me Now all around we're paranoid Where once caution was null and void But hope shines here and sometimes there In people scattered everywhere Unthinking generosity Uncriticizing love Every now and every then Find one who holds above Even their own good another's life And so we find That evil comes and evil goes But life always goes on.  
  
Kasumi nodded slowly, finishing her mug of tea. She looked at Kodora.  
  
"Come on." She said softly, smiling sadly. "I'll wash your back if you wash mine..."  
  
Kodora smiled back, also with a sad quality, as Kasumi handed the paper back.  
  
"Because it's always the small things that matter most, ne, Oneechan?"  
  
"Ee."  
  
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Yes, I wrote it.  
  
And I mean it. Forget vengeance. You want to show the terrorists that you're better?  
  
Then love a little, live a little, share a little, give a little.  
  
Because you know...  
  
they wouldn't.  
  
-Selene Starblade 


	36. Book Four, Chapter 8: And the Fog Comes ...

Ranma looked over at the black-cloaked figure.  
  
"Are ya sure about this?" He asked, with a dubious look on his face.  
  
The figure mumbled indistinctly, if at length.  
  
Ranma frowned. "Well, maybe it will be fun to watch, but still..."  
  
More mumbling.  
  
"Well, no, actually, I agree that Yajirobe makes a great Genma."  
  
There was a gesture to the animal wearing a yellow-with-black-checker- stripes bandana and playing with an umbrella..  
  
"Yes, I know, Penpen is getting pretty good with that. And, o' course, having Myoga play Happosai was just a stroke of genius."  
  
More mumbling.  
  
"Well, it's just..."  
  
There was a series of mumbles.  
  
"Exactly. You really think he can do it right?"  
  
Tenchi, wearing red and black, with his pigtail braided, looked up from his script.  
  
"You know," he said, "This might actually be kind of fun."  
  
Ranma grimaced. "'Kinda', Tenchi. 'Kinda' fun."  
  
Tenchi blinked. "Didn't I say that?"  
  
The cloaked figure sweatdropped a little.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Passenger Chapter 30: And the Fog Comes Rolling In  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to writing even the dumbest fanfics as well as possible.  
  
Disclaimer: So most of them aren't mine. Big whoop.  
  
Japanese shows up in " ". English is in , although some sound effects are too. Chinese is in { }. Jusenkyoo Cursed Signs show up in [ ]. And Ranma and Kodora's mental conversations are in stylish * *.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
"Miki-chan has no time to chase after frumpy old women. It's time to practice!"  
  
Kasumi blinked.  
  
That can't be right, she thought. I'm not.... I'm not a frumpy old woman.....  
  
...am I?  
  
Well, was she? Kasumi thought about it seriously. How would you know if you were frumpy? Well, first off, you wouldn't think you looked good. That was always a direct sign. So, she asked herself if she looked good.  
  
And realised she didn't have a clue. She hadn't payed any attention to her reflection in the bathroom mirror in years, and, in fact, hadn't encountered that many others. When she had, she never looked at herself in them. She seldom had the time. Even the one in Toohuu-sensei's clinic was never used by her. She generally had to leave after bringing the kind doctor her latest attempt at an apology. The rest of the time, she had groceries to shop for, a house to clean...  
  
So, that let that out as a sign. How else? Well, let's see... when you look frumpy, people don't pay much attention to your appearances. Kasumi couldn't recall turning anyones head recently. (In fact, she did regularly, but most of these people she was engaged in conversation with at the time, so she would hardly have noticed the difference)  
  
Uh-oh.  
  
Okay, okay, wait, no need to get all depressed yet. That wasn't the only way to tell. Now, if you didn't look good, people wouldn't ask you out on dates.  
  
("PREPARE TO DIE!!!!" said someone to whom Kasumi was not currently paying attention.)  
  
Oh, dear. Noone had asked Kasumi out on a date since her sophomore year at Furinkan High, when it had finally become known that she was the caretaker for the entire Tendoo-ke. (This was also around the time when word finished getting around how the Doc got around Kasumi.)  
  
This was not looking good to Kasumi.  
  
And then there was yesterday, when that Mikado boy had thought she was Kodora-chan's mother, not her sister... (Actually, he had thought so because of her housedress, and that he had guessed Kodora to be maybe nine, and what he had assumed to be a twenty-six or twenty-seven year old woman having a nine year old child was not too far-fetched at all, but again, Kasumi didn't know that.)  
  
And, of course, there was the time with that new grocer, who had asked her to make friends with his forty year old wife. 'She needs someone around her age...' he had said.  
  
Oh, dear. Now Kasumi was getting good and depressed.  
  
There was the sound of ice crunching.  
  
As a matter of fact, Kasumi couldn't remember anyone having even commented that she looked nice that day recently, with the possible exception of Kodora (who didn't really count, being both female and -sort of- a relative).  
  
"Ah, yes. An apology, I believe. Here, let me..." Mikado lifted her head slightly, leaning in towards her.  
  
SMAKK  
  
Kasumi froze, right arm crossed over her body. What had she just done?  
  
She had hit someone. She had broken her own golden rule- 'do no intentional harm'. She stared blankly at the still-spinning Mikado. Apparently all that sweeping, cooking, dusting, laundry, raking, more sweeping, and scrubbing had kept her punch from getting weaker, even though she had stopped all forms of martial arts long ago.  
  
She dropped the tangent, and thought about what she had just done, and why.  
  
Kasumi had hit someone out of frustration, out of anger, out of depression... none of which were good reasons to her thinking.  
  
About this point, the gears on Akane's voicebox caught, as her brain finally engaged the clutch.  
  
"Kasumi.... hit someone??????"  
  
"You." Stated Ranma, the word pointing at Mikado like a rather sharp arrow.  
  
The taller boy looked back at Ranma. "What is it YOU want??"  
  
Ranma continued to glare at him. "You have insulted my friend AND you have tried to kiss unwilling girls who are also my friends several times today. It's obvious you know how to fight. I challenge you."  
  
Mikado scoffed. "I accept. We will meet in the Kolkhoz High rink a week from now. And remember, you have to have a partner."  
  
Ranma, suddenly derailed, gave Mikado a blank look.  
  
"Partner?"  
  
Mikado nodded. "Why did you think they called it Martial Arts Pairs Figure Skating?"  
  
Ranma sweatdropped.  
  
******  
  
Not much later, Ryooga, Akane, and Ranma managed to coax a mostly unresponsive Kasumi out of the building and down the street towards the Tendoo Dojo. According to the note Souun had left with the man at the skate rental counter, he would be at home, having headed there as soon as he recovered from his cramp.  
  
"..." said Ryooga.  
  
"..." said Akane.  
  
"..." said Ranma.  
  
"..........." said Kasumi, outdoing the others for gloom content to her silence.  
  
*Well...* began Kodora, who hated long silences. *..who ARE you going to partner up with?*  
  
*Uh... can we talk about this later, Imootochan?*  
  
*Oh, alright.*  
  
"..." said Ryooga.  
  
"..." said Aka... aw, heck, you get the picture.  
  
They continued this all of the way to the Dojo.  
  
******  
  
When Kasumi stepped out from the kitchen into the hallway after finishing with the dinner dishes, she found Ranma, looking slightly bored and slightly embarrassed, waiting for her. She nodded to the young man silently, and turned to head upstairs.  
  
"Wait, Kasumi-san..."  
  
Still looking somewhat dulled, Kasumi turned to face Ranma. She tried, but failed miserably at even smiling, her face remaining in the neutral 'thoughtful' pose she had been unknowingly maintaining since leaving the ice skating rink.  
  
Ranma sighed. "What's wrong, Kasumi-san? Kodora-imootochan and I are getting worried."  
  
Kasumi shook her head. "Why, nothing's wrong, Ranma-san. Whatever made you think that?" this was followed by what might eventually be recorded as the second most fake plastic smile ever used.  
  
Ranma shook his head as well. "That's not going to work, Kasumi-san. Kodora-chan and I can both tell that's not your real smile."  
  
Kasumi sighed. "Well... I suppose I could talk about it... here, we'll go to my room."  
  
Ranma nodded, and followed Kasumi upstairs.  
  
******  
  
Genma and Souun sat at the shogi board. Genma was currently a panda (yet again), courtesy of an accident while clearing the water glasses.  
  
"Saotome-kun, did you notice anything... wrong with dinner tonight?"  
  
[What are you talking about Tendoo-kun? Your advertisement here.]  
  
Souun shrugged. "I don't know, it just seemed... less something-or-other than usual. And Kasumi-chan looked awfully thoughtful. I hope nothing's wrong." [Aah, you're just imagining things. You too can make money off this valuable advertising space!]  
  
Souun blinked. "Saotome-kun, what's wrong with your signs?"  
  
[Wrong? Contact Tendoo Nabiki at the Tendoo Dojo, Nerima, Japan for details.]  
  
The panda paused, and examined his sign.  
  
[What the... Coca-cola: Even pandas love the taste!]  
  
The panda flipped the sign around.  
  
[What on earth is wrong with these things? This space for rent.]  
  
Nabiki, sitting on the sofa reading a manga, looked over at Genma and giggled.  
  
Souun looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's just the nature of things. The sky is blue, gravity pulls down, advertisements find their ways into the darndest spots..."  
  
Genma-panda looked slightly chagrined. [Especially when Nabiki's involved. Welcome To The Next Level. SEGA!]  
  
Nabiki kept giggling for a while.  
  
******  
  
Ranma sat on the floor, facing Kasumi. He looked around again. Now that he thought of it, he hadn't looked around much in the room.  
  
Now he realized Kasumi didn't have a lot of stuff. Sure she had a small television, a boombox, a dresser and a table, but that seemed to be about it besides the bed and futon. On the other hand, considering how little time she actually spent in her room, that kind of made sense.  
  
He would have thought she would at least want a chair or something, though.  
  
Ranma cleared his thoughts.  
  
*You're on your own on this one, Oniisan.* Kodora had said. *You need to learn to do this on your own. I know you can get it right.*  
  
Damned if he'd fail her trust while she was literally sitting right here.  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to ask the question again, but was interrupted by Kasumi.  
  
"I hit him."  
  
Ranma blinked, closed his mouth, then opened it again.  
  
"And?"  
  
"What do you mean 'and'?? It was wrong! I had no reason to hit him!"  
  
Ranma snorted. "You had every reason to hit him! He was molesting you! I may not know much, but I know that if you didn't want him to do it, it's molestation! And he certainly wasn't responding to words at all."  
  
"But... but hurting someone is wrong! There's no excuse for that... it's just wrong!"  
  
"You're kiddin' me, right? If hurtin' someone is wrong, then what the heck is martial arts? If you think hurtin' someone is wrong, then you think martial arts is wrong! The most important part of martial arts is hurtin' someone to keep 'em from causin' more hurt themselves. 'Protect the Weak', remember? What else will ya do when words just don't cut it? "Look, Kasumi-chan. You had already tried to talk him out of it, right? You told him it was wrong, and it was made perfectly clear that you didn't want him to do it. Right?"  
  
Kasumi half-nodded. At that point, she hadn't been sure she hadn't wanted the kiss, just to reassure herself that she wasn't frumpy or ugly.  
  
"Right. And that didn't work, did it? Another big thing in martial arts. Control. Ya hafta try words first. Yes, fighting is a last resort, but it's an important one, right? I mean, I don't know how ta do lotsa stuff with words, so I'm stuck with fighting a lotta the time, but you certainly tried. It's not wrong ta hurt someone if it keeps someone else from gettin' hurt more. I mean, look at Kodora-chan. She'd be a lot better off if people'd tried ta beat her up than she was because they made fun of her an' stuff. Ya may not have gotten what she said way back then, but when she was so depressed... she said somethin' that really sticks. Injuries are mostly temporary. If ya use the wrong words, you c'n do a lot of damage to someone that ain't physical- and that's a lot harder ta get fixed."  
  
Kasumi nodded again. "I... I suppose. But how does that excuse what I did?"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "It don't. It don't excuse it, an' it don't justify it. But it does explain it an' make it reasonable. I don't see as ya did anythin' ta be ashamed of. An' I'm pretty sure Ojiisan Tendoo would agree with me too, if he were here. He's a martial artist too, remember?"  
  
Kasumi finally smiled again, and nodded. "I understand, Ranma."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Good! Glad ta have that done with. Now, I think I'm gonna go have a snack." He rubbed his palms together, getting up.  
  
Kasumi giggled. "Ranma, you bottomless pit! What will it take to make you full?"  
  
Ranma grinned haphazardly. "Only some of th' best food I ever had." And with that, he left the room, heading downstairs to raid the fridge for what little leftovers there were.  
  
Kasumi shook her head. Only Ranma could do that. Be kind and understanding like Kodora one moment, then his typical semi-clueless, somewhat doofy self the next.  
  
As she got up to change into her nightgown, she wondered if there was anyone anywhere else who could be quite like that.  
  
In countless other universes, and downstairs, countless people named variously Saotome Ranma, Son Goku, Son Ranma, and Saotome Goku all sneezed.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Now THERE's a sneezing fit that'll do some damage.  
  
'Wachoo! Oh, sorry about your mountain. Really, a crater looks better there. Honest!'  
  
Tee-hee.  
  
Things continue to progress in this nifty little alternate universe, and Ranma seems to be learning a good deal of how to cope with people.  
  
Although he's still stuck in martial arts analogies.  
  
But what about Ryooga?  
  
And the Amazons?  
  
And who will be Ranma's partner for the Skating Match??  
  
Find out next time in: Blinding Fog, or, Mist Rising From Ice!!  
  
Bai Bai!  
  
"Ogres are... like onions!" "Oh, they smell?" "Yes. NO!" "They make ya cry?" "No!" "Ohh, you leave 'em out in th' sun, an' they start sproutin' little white hairs." "Nooo! Layers! Onions. Have. Layers! Ogres have layers! Ogres have layers, onions have layers! Do y' get it? We both have layers." "...... you know, not everyone likes onions." "..." "... Cakes! Cakes have layers! Everyone likes cakes." "I don't CARE what everybody likes! Ogres are NOT like CAKES. Ogres are like ONIONS." "... Parfaits! Parfaits have layers! Everybody likes parfaits. You never meet someone say 'Hey, let's go get some Parfaits. No, I don' like no parfaits.'" "NO! You DENSE, IRRITATING, MINIATURE BEAST OF BURDEN! Ogres are not like parfaits! Ogres are like ONIONS! End of story! Bye-bye! Seeyalater." -The Ogres Are Like Onions scene, Shreck. 


	37. Book Five, Chapter 1: Mist Rising from I...

On a mountain somewhere in Japan, the remains of a rockslide shifted, then a number of rocks fell, rolling the rest of the way down the mountain. Out into the midnight air stepped a tiny, shriveled man.  
  
"Free! Free at last! Now I can go back to-"  
  
He was cut off by a loud rumbling sound. He looked up the mountain and his eyes widened comically on his tiny little face.  
  
"Oh, no, not again..."  
  
Happosai dived back into the cave just in time to avoid being crushed by another massive avalanche.  
  
Up on the top of the mountain, Ryooga looked around.  
  
"Why does this place look familiar?" He wondered aloud, then shrugged and picked up his pack. The rock it had been sitting on shifted and fell, triggering a third rockslide, burying the cave even further.  
  
There was the sound of extremely muffled cursing from somewhere down the mountain.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Passenger Chapter 32: Mist Rising From Ice  
  
A Ranma 1/2 fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to coincidence and happenstance.  
  
Disclaimer: The majority of the characters in this work do not belong to me, they belong to Takahashi Rumiko. Hopefully she doesn't mind my borrowing them for my own purposes.  
  
Key: Things in are in English Things in " " are in Japanese Things in [ ] are on Juusenkyo cursed signs Things in { } are in Chinese Things in * * are only heard by Ranma and Kodora, because they're in mental communication  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Ranma sat in his favorite tree at lunch, relaxing with the remains of his bento balanced in his lap.  
  
*Okay, so first things first, Ranma- who are you going to partner with for the challenge with Mikadope?*  
  
*I'm not sure. I'd choose Akane, but I'm not sure she'll be able to keep her cool. That guy'll probably try ta kiss her, and that'd likely make her go bonkers. And it's not like there's really anyone else to go with. Kasumi isn't a martial artist, really, she doesn't practice. And Nabiki's totally out of the question- she don't even ice skate.*  
  
*Well, why not someone other than those three?*  
  
Ranma shook his head. *Naah. I'm kinda alla their fiancee, and doing this with someone else wouldn't be appropriate.*  
  
*Why not?* Kodora asked.  
  
*Well, I mean, it would be like saying I don't like any of 'em. I mean, ice skatin', two people together, ya hafta touch the other person a lotta the time, and if I did that with someone else, it's kinda sayin' I'd rather touch someone else.*  
  
*I... hadn't thought of that.*  
  
*Yeah. And I'd ask them which one a' them wanted to do it, but that... it's like dancing, y'know? I bet they'd rather be asked personally, than sort of a 'If I could have a volunteer' kinda thing.*  
  
*Hmm. Well, what if we go with the one who has the most personal stake in this?*  
  
*Whadda ya mean?*  
  
*Well, okay, look at it. Nabiki is right out, she doesn't skate. So, of Akane and Kasumi, which one has more reason to do this?*  
  
*Hm. Lessee. Sanzenin tried to kiss Akane, but he also tried to kiss Kasumi. Matter of fact, he tried to kiss Kasumi more times than he did Akane.*  
  
*Right. And how about Shiratori?*  
  
*Well, Akane don't have anything personal against 'er, but she called Kasumi frumpy...*  
  
*Looks like it's gonna be Kasumi, huh?*  
  
*I dunno, Kodora. I mean seriously, do you really think Kasumi could get good enough in under a week to actually stand a chance?*  
  
******  
  
"There go." Stated Xian Pu happily, shoving the last bookshelf into place. "Is all ready."  
  
Ku Lon pogoed over on her staff, taking a look at the setup. Bookshelves all along the walls, three two-sided bookshelves towards the back, making four aisles, and a few small tables in the front for people who wanted to use reference materials or skim through part of a book before deciding.  
  
"It looks very good. Nice job, great-granddaughter."  
  
"Thank you, Hibachan."  
  
Sin Ku stepped in the front door with a large box, immediately heading to the counter and depositing it there. She opened the side with a deft flick of her wrist, somehow cutting two diagonals into the cardboard and peeling back the four triangles of stiff paper. As she took out the cash register and plugged it in, she hummed softly.  
  
Ku Lon hopped to the counter, taking a seat on the stool behind it. She immediately began going through inventory forms.  
  
"Amazon-dot-com, hmm? We'll see about that."  
  
"Great-grandmother?" Asked Xian Pu, sitting on a table and toying with one of her bonbori. "Why is word for women warrior use 'amazon' rather than 'Joketsuzoku'?"  
  
Ku Lon didn't even look up from the forms while answering. "It's an old word. From the latin, I believe. The name for an ancient tribe of female warriors from eastern Europe. The word means literally 'without breasts.' The tribe used a lot of bows, and most of them removed one breast so as to keep it from getting in the way of the bowstring."  
  
Xian Pu looked at herself, then at Sin Ku, and then back over to her great- grandmother.  
  
"But, Xian Pu still have both breasts. And Xian Pu not know of anyone else who follow painful custom."  
  
"Of course not, dear. Only that one tribe did. But the name has stuck. It really doesn't mean that anymore, in fact, most people don't know that it ever did mean that. Now it just refers to societies with mostly female warriors."  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
It was quiet for a while longer, then Xian Pu spoke up again. "How soon we going to find demon?"  
  
Sin Ku sighed and stood up from where she had been messing with electrical cords. "Xian Pu, have you no patience?"  
  
The purple-haired girl shook her head. "Is not that. Xian Pu just want some idea of how long we going be here."  
  
The spiritualist shook her head. "There is no way of knowing. The demon seems to be confining itself to this area. Why that is, I don't know. Furthermore, since I can't sense how strong it is, it is much harder to tell where exactly it is. It is only barely detectable by my methods. It would probably help if we could get an idea of why it is staying here."  
  
Xian Pu nodded. "So, why not ask people in area?"  
  
"It's not that simple, young Battle Maiden. If the demon is indeed staying around here, it likely has controlled or persuaded some people to help hide it. They are not likely to tell just anyone. We need to gain these people's trust first, and do so without becoming conspicuous to the demon. It will take at least a month, probably longer than that. Although, if worse comes to worse, we could simply trace someone to it, and have it out right there. But I'd rather not. Demons are dangerous enough head on, cornering them makes it worse."  
  
Xian Pu sighed. "Xian Pu suppose so." There was a short pause, which Sin Ku took advantage of to finish hooking up the cash register, occasionally casting a spiteful glare at the manual.  
  
"Hibachan?"  
  
Giving in, Ku Lon closed the booklet of forms, put it on a shelf below the counter, and turned to her descendant. "What is it Xian Pu?"  
  
"Xian Pu is starving. Why could Great-grandmother not have restaurant?"  
  
Ku Lon sweatdropped, and Sin Ku hid her smile by burying her nose in the manual.  
  
******  
  
*Hold up Ranma. Back up a bit?*  
  
Ranma blinked and complied. *What is it, Kodora-chan?*  
  
*Look up and to the left?*  
  
Ranma looked up at the sign.  
  
-Grand Opening Saturday! Kuzotsukejo Books!-  
  
*Cool! A bookstore!*  
  
Ranma blinked again. *What's so great about that?* He asked, continuing on his way to the dojo.  
  
Kodora sighed. *You've never read anything for fun, have you Ranma?*  
  
*Fun? Reading? You gotta be kidding me.*  
  
*Typical.*  
  
******  
  
Ranma took one step into the Tendoo-ke, and immediately took a flying leap to one side.  
  
"Kyaah!" Shouted Genma, landing in a flying stomp, right where Ranma had been a moment ago. Not allowing his son time to reverse direction, he took a low, charging leap towards Ranma, lashing out with one fist.  
  
Ducking the blow, Ranma swept one foot out in a roundhouse kick, which was hopped over. Dodging the flying-kick counter, he grabbed his father's leg, and swung the larger man in a partial arc, aiming him at the wall. Even as Genma twisted midair and rebounded off the wall, Ranma jumped up to the roof of the house. Followed swiftly by his father, Ranma bounded across the roof and into the backyard, landing on the largest rock of the set around the koi pond. Genma took up a position on the rock on the opposite side, as Ranma tossed his schoolbag onto the veranda.  
  
"You're getting sloppy, boy! All this time as a girl has made you weak!"  
  
"Oh, really? This from mister panda, the household pet!"  
  
Genma huffed, and leaped across the pond towards Ranma. As the younger martial artist jumped straight up, Genma bounced off the rock after him, catching up quickly. Ranma immediately launched a spinning kick, which Genma caught, spinning himself and launching Ranma back straight down.  
  
Ranma was far from out of the fight, however, twisting to land on his feet. He crouched, looking straight up at Genma, who was still about two stories up in the air, but descending fast with a falling kick.  
  
Ranma waited, focusing. *Little closer... here goes!*  
  
Arms spread wide, Ranma manifested a bright gold aura which thinly outlined him. Swiftly bringing his arms together, both hands cupped, he formed a bowl of his hands, the open side between his fingers pointing straight up at Genma. The aura flowed into the space between his hands.  
  
"Hayabusa Ikkatsu! (Peregrine Falcon Cry)"  
  
WHAM  
  
Ranma slumped slightly on the rock as a somewhat battered Genma flopped down on the grass. That had taken a lot out of him...  
  
Genma got up, looking somewhat irritated. "So, boy, you want to bring a chi blast into this? Fine, then, let's see how you like this!"  
  
Genma pulled back one hand to punch, and it began to glow with a dark brown aura.  
  
Ranma pulled his stance back together, preparing to dodge whatever was going to be thrown. He hadn't suspected his old man had it in him.  
  
Genma hauled back the hand even further. "Rinretsu...."  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes. The attack was obviously going to come from Genma's hand. But his father had taught him to not be obvious, to hide his actual blows from detection until it was too late to block. So where was the real attack going to come from?  
  
"KUUHUKU!" Shouted Genma, thrusting his fist forwards. The brown, bloblike aura catapulted forwards at Ranma, who on an impulse jumped straight up rather than dodging to one side.  
  
The blast seemed to stop for a moment, the center halting while the outer edges spread forwards to the left and right before it collapsed in on itself right where Ranma would have been with a loud BANG.  
  
Ranma landed, and stared wide-eyed at his father. "Damn! That was cool!"  
  
Genma took advantage of the opportunity to slam into his son, flinging Ranma into the boundary wall. Ranma slumped to the ground and got back up, shaking his head.  
  
Genma laughed. "I got ya good, boy! Hahahahaha! That'll teach you that your father's still better!"  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes and charged forward, fist at the ready, and struck Genma in the foot with his face.  
  
"Hmph. Just admit it, boy, I won this round!"  
  
Ranma slowly got up again. "Fine. But only 'cause I gotta go practice for the match on Saturday. I'd make ya eat those words if I had the time."  
  
His father snorted. "Just see that you don't shame our school at that match, boy. I expect you to win!"  
  
And with that, Genma headed back into the house to start another game of Go with Souun.  
  
Ranma wandered off to the bathroom to clean up a bit, smiling.  
  
*'Biting Hunger', eh? Kinda makes sense.*  
  
*Particularly given Genma, ne, Ranma?*  
  
*Ne, Kodora-imootochan. Still, I gotta admit, I didn't know the old man had it in him. Nice ta see he's still got stuff ta teach me.*  
  
******  
  
Kasumi looked up as Ranma walked into the room.  
  
"Oh, hello Ranma-kun, Kodora-chan."  
  
"Uh, hi Kasumi. Look, I was wondering..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~  
  
Next chapter: Ranma begins practicing for the martial arts ice-skating competition!  
  
Ryooga's going to be back in town again, just in time to meet someone else...  
  
And more from the amazons!  
  
Sorry it took so long for this chapter- real life has taken to bludgeoning me repeatedly on the head with large objects and making off with all of my free time. Although I will say this: I'm not going to come to a complete stop on this until it's really for truly complete. I refuse to do only part of a series fic. I started it, I'm going to finish it.  
  
Hey, tell me what you think of this chapter, of the whole thing, whatever! Any useful input is... well... useful.  
  
"Looks like he's not coming up. He must have drowned..... Oh well. Let's go." -Hiroshi, regarding Principal Kuno, book 12 Chapter 9 "Swim like a Hammer" 


	38. Book Five, Chapter 2: Eenie Meenie Oni M...

Ryooga looked around. There was no helping it.  
  
He was lost again.  
  
At least he was still in Japan this time. That is, he was fairly sure he was in Japan.  
  
"Arrrgh! Koko wa doko da?!?" (Where is this place?!?)  
  
rmmrmmrmmmmm  
  
Ryooga blinked. "Gee, I guess I'm hungry... my stomach hasn't growled like that in a while."  
  
rmmmrmmmRmmmRmmRmmmmRmm  
  
As he sat down, he took the pieces of wood he had gathered and threw them into a heap to make a fire with.  
  
Unbeknownst to him, one of the pieces of wood was a sign. It prominently read [Quiet! Avalanche Zone!]  
  
RmmmRmmRRmmmRMMRMMMRRMMMMRMMRMMM  
  
Ryooga began to get nervous.  
  
"Or maybe that's not my stomach."  
  
RMMMRMMMRMMMRMMMRMM!!!!  
  
Ryooga looked up the mountain.  
  
A shadow fell over his face.  
  
"Aww, craaaaap....."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Passenger Chapter 33: Eenie Meenie Oni Mo  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by Selene Starblade Dedicated to getting away with it because it's the perfect crime.  
  
Disclaimer: Noun. 1. A sentence or paragraph in a body of text disavowing ownership of the people or things discussed within. 2. A trick used by advertisers to get you to think you're buying something better than you really are. 3. Any of a number of jokes by fanfiction authors put in the place of item 1. i.e. "Where did I put my disclaimer? I've lost it! Oh, well. I guess they ARE mine after all, now. Mine, all MINE! Muhahahahaaa!"  
  
indicate English or some sound effects. " " indicate Japanese [ ] indicate signs, Jusenkyo cursed or otherwise. { } indicate Chinese * * indicate mental communications, most often between Ranma and Kodora. & & indicate I'm going out of my mind, because those don't make acceptable parenthesis.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
Ranma and Kasumi were walking to the skating rink.  
  
"Ranma-kun, I have to ask..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Well..." Kasumi hesitated. "What was that with that Mikado boy calling Ryooga-san a half-oni? You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious..."  
  
Ranma considered for an instant. After all, this was Kasumi. If Kasumi couldn't be trusted...  
  
He wasn't sure what that would mean, but it would be really really bad.  
  
"Aah, 's all right, Kasumi. Okay, it goes like this. If you're on the up and up in the more obscure side o' the world, master martial artists and magicians and whatnot, then ya know there're oni and things around. An' sometimes these non-humans... well... fall in love with humans. And, of course, when they m-marry, they, uh..."  
  
Kasumi giggled at Ranma's blush. "Have children, Ranma-kun?"  
  
"Right, right, have kids. Anyhow, accordin' to what I heard, half-oni have some pretty unusual stuff about 'em. They're usually really strong, an' they most always have fangs, and usually no sense of direction, either."  
  
Kasumi blinked. "Ara... that's Ryooga-san to a Ta...."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Thing is, Ryooga ain't half-oni. 'S actually pretty funny when ya think about it. See, his mom, she's some kinda space alien, an' that's where he gets th' fangs an' part of his awful sense o' direction. His pop, on the other hand, he's a hengeyokai."  
  
Kasumi gasped slightly. "A-a hengeyokai??"  
  
"Yep. Badger, I think. That's why he's real tough and don't give up very easy. Anyway, his pop ain't got no sense o' direction neither. Th' only reason Ryooga's really strong is he spends 'bout as much time training as I do- more, really, since he don't go ta school very often. Anyway, since Ryooga seems ta be half-oni, a lotta people try ta stay away from 'im. He gets sent away from a lotta dojos 'cause o' that."  
  
Kasumi nodded, and asked one last question as they stepped into the building. "Ara... is Ryooga's father a good hengeyokai or an evil hengeyokai?"  
  
Ranma chuckled. "Good, o' course. Met him once. Really nice an' generous guy. Insanely determined, though."  
  
Ranma and Kasumi stepped onto the padded area, heading for the shoe lockers.  
  
******  
  
Nabiki stared at her computer screen like it was...  
  
Well, like it was doing something it REALLY wasn't supposed to be doing. Frowning, she went back and checked over the entire database.  
  
Her frown became slightly less mild. Something would have to be done about this. Getting up, she walked to the doorway of her room, opening the door wide.  
  
"Uncle Saotome! Chichi (my father)! May I speak to you for a minute??"  
  
******  
  
Souun Tendoo and a panda were currently embroiled in a game of shogi.  
  
Actually, it was an argument regarding the playing of shogi, but since it had interrupted a game, it was close enough.  
  
[Seriously, Tendoo! This Space For Rent.]  
  
Souun shook his head. "It's not right, Saotome. Besides, if I play against you while cheating, I won't be prepared to play against anyone else. Not everyone plays like you do."  
  
The panda got a determined look and held up another sign. [But, Tendoo, it's all part of the game! Purina Panda Chow, only the best for YOUR panda!]  
  
The sign flipped around. [It makes the game more fun! That IS the point of a game, right? Have fun? McDonalds, We Love To See You Smile!] Flip. [Besides, there's more strategy when you have to try to distract your opponent. I'm a Malboro Man!]  
  
Souun frowned. "I do wish Nabiki would be more discriminating about whom she allows to advertise. Cigarettes are bad for your health."  
  
Genma sweatdropped. [What do you mean? You smoke all the time! Give me a break: Kit Kat!]  
  
His old friend sighed. "Yes, and I do wish I could stop. It's just, whenever I get stressed or tired-"  
  
"Uncle Saotome!" Came his middle daughter's voice, from the upstairs of the house. "Chichi! May I speak to you for a minute??"  
  
Souun stopped and blinked, getting up. "Well, Saotome, may as well go see what it is. Bound to be important, though."  
  
The panda looked quizically at him as it stood up.  
  
Souun shrugged. "Nabiki-chan seldom has spare time nowadays. I do wish she'd give up the finances..."  
  
******  
  
Xian Pu and Sin Ku roofhopped to the skating rink. As they touched down just outside the door, the Spiritualist turned to the younger Amazon.  
  
"Remember, Xian Pu, we're just here to become a part of the community. Even if you do see the demon, don't attack it. It's likely still wary, and we'll have nothing to gain by scaring it away.  
  
Xian Pu nodded. "Hai. Xian Pu understands."  
  
As the two walked up to the skate rental counter, Sin Ku made one last comment to the other amazon.  
  
"And, Xian Pu? Remember to show respect for the customs and ways of the people here. Just because they are not our ways does not make them wrong."  
  
******  
  
"Oh, I see." Said Ranma. "So, if we both lean away from each other, we can steer by changin' how much we lean?"  
  
Kasumi nodded as the two continued their loop around the rink. "That way, with practice, we can stay together while perfoming more complex actions. Also, if one of us jumps, we can do a fast turnaround."  
  
"I get it. Makes a lot o' sense."  
  
"aiyaaayaaayaaYAAAYAAAA!!!"  
  
Ranma and Kasumi both skidded to a halt as a purple blur slid by them.  
  
WHAMMO  
  
*Close one.* Commented Kodora.  
  
The young pair skated over to where Xian Pu had impacted a wall facefirst. The purple-haired girl sat up, rubbing her forehead.  
  
"Aiyaaa....."  
  
"Are you alright?" Asked Kasumi.  
  
Xian Pu nodded absently as she got up, leaning on the retaining wall. "Xian Pu is alright."  
  
"Y'sure about that?" Asked Ranma. "Those walls c'n be pretty hard."  
  
*Yeah, you should know.* Kodora quipped.  
  
*Gimme a break, imootochan.*  
  
The Chinese girl frowned at Ranma. "None of man's business." With that, she skated off around the rink again, grabbing for the wall every foot or so.  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
"Well, now," remarked Kasumi, "that was rather rude."  
  
Sin Ku glided to a stop in front of the two.  
  
"I apologise for Xian Pu's rudeness. We are... not from around here, and she is not used to such concern from strangers."  
  
"Oh," chirped Kasumi, "I suppose it's alright then. Xian Pu- that was right, wasn't it?- has reason, I suppose. Tell me, are you, perhaps, her oneesan?"  
  
Sin Ku laughed softly. "No, no. I'm not quite THAT young. By the way, my name is Sin Ku."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Shampoo? Sink? Hope ya don't mind me sayin', but those're some pretty odd names ya have there."  
  
Kasumi looked sternly at Ranma. "You could have said that more politely, Ranma-kun."  
  
Ranma looked down. "Ah, sorry." He turned back to Sin Ku, and bowed. "I apologise for offending you."  
  
The green-haired Amazon waved it off. "No need, I wasn't offended. Although I do agree that it's odd how the names of most of the people in our village sound like English words for toiletries. It helps if you pronounce the names right, though. It's Xian Pu and Sin Ku, not Shampoo and Sink."  
  
Ranma grinned brightly. "Okay, Sink." He winced. "Sorry. I'm not that good with other languages... Oh, and my names Ranma."  
  
Sin Ku nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Ranma. And you are?"  
  
"Kasumi."  
  
Sin Ku smiled. "Glad to meet you. Always nice to see such a well-matched young couple. Now, where did that Xian Pu get off to?"  
  
And with that, the Amazon skated away, leaving a rather flustered Ranma and Kasumi looking anywhere but at each other.  
  
******  
  
At that very moment, something unusual was happening in the Quinghai province of China.  
  
Actually, for that province, it was somewhat normal, but compared to what typically went on in most places, it was unusual.  
  
Let us look into the 'Roots of Health', a health-food restaurant hidden away in the mountains.  
  
This restaraunt is something truely rare- a genuine health-food restaurant. Once eaten, the kinds of food prepared there genuinely effect a person's health. Muscle-builders, energy foods, brain food... and one very special item.  
  
******  
  
"Speak!" Exclaimed the cracked, tinny voice of one of the four bandits.  
  
"That is our order!"  
  
"The 4000-year-old chinese treasure, the 'Dragon's Whisker!'" Spoke a second. "Where did you hide it!"  
  
The proprietor, who looked a bit greasy (not evil, mind you, but more like he'd been slicking his entire HEAD back with hair gel), remained crouched in front of his stone stove.  
  
"Heh." He chuckled. "Even if I knew where it now is, I would not tell you. The whisker brings nothing but pain to this world. I will not tell you!"  
  
"So." Resumed the first bandit. "You will not say." He pulled out a very sharp-looking cutlass. "Then you will die!"  
  
The proprietor blinked. Then he took a deep breath.  
  
"Aforeignercameandhetookitandateaporrigeaccidentallyandgrewalotofhairandnowh ehastowearitandhewassomesortofmartialartistorsomethingfromJapanIthinkandhewa sgoingfarawayforalongtimesodon'tkillmebecausehe'sstillwearingitonabraidedpig tail-"  
  
"ARGH!!" Cut in the third bandit. "Not so fast! Not so fast! I can't understand a thing you're saying!"  
  
The proprietor continued to blather.  
  
The fourth held up a wicked-looking half-moon polearm, as if to remove the man's head.  
  
"W-wait..." Stated the man, pulling out a brush and a piece of parchment. "This... This is what the foreigner looked like."  
  
The bandits grabbed the parchment and ran off into the storm, their conical hats protecting them from the rain.  
  
******  
  
Ranma sat in the furo, relaxing a bit before dinner. Suddenly, despite the warm water, he shivered.  
  
*Something wrong, Anisan?* Asked Kodora.  
  
"Un." Ranma muttered quietly. "Kodora-chan, you ever get the feeling like someone just danced on your grave?"  
  
*All the time.* Came the rueful reply.  
  
"It just got worse for a moment. And my hair's itching."  
  
There was a pause.  
  
*Ano- wasn't the last time you felt that...*  
  
"Un. I just hope it's not."  
  
*Knock on wood.*  
  
Ranma blinked.  
  
"Knock on...?"  
  
Kodora groaned. *It's an expression, Ani. An expression.*  
  
"Oh."  
  
*I hate translation problems.*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~  
  
That's right! It's those four! And you know what's going to happen when they get involved...  
  
And what WAS Nabiki calling her father and Genma up for?  
  
Wouldn't you like to know.  
  
Well, practice for the skating competition has begun, and the Amazons have finally met Ranma.  
  
Nabiki's still advertising on Genma's signs, Akane's not figuring very big at the moment (sorry 'bout that- I'll see what I can do about that), and a few major events are fast approaching.  
  
And before too much longer, Kodora will meet the Amazons.  
  
And isn't it maddening that I STILL haven't told who that enemy was that Kodora mentioned waaaaaay back in chapter 1?  
  
And what about the Dragon's Hair?  
  
So many things to write about, so little time...  
  
"Here we come a waffling, among the leaves so green! Here we come a baking, a daring to be seen! Maple syrup, come to you, and to you your waffle too! And good breakfast will give you a ha-appy new year And good breakfast and happy new year!" I think those words are wrong....  
  
Signing out, Selene Starblade. 


	39. Book Five, Chapter 3: Intermediacy

Saotome Genma walked down the street.  
  
But you couldn't tell.  
  
The man walking down the street did not look the least bit like any Saotome Genma known to anyone in Japan or China.  
  
The man walking down the street was of moderately tall height, and had developed quite the paunch around the middle. He was wearing a gray business suit with a white shirt, and had a gray fedora atop his head. He was wearing a pair of regular spectacles with earpieces, rather than a pair with ear-straps.  
  
He was also itching terribly.  
  
*Lousy monkey-suit.* Thought Genma, trying desperately to resist the urge to scratch at his spine.  
  
*Can't argue with the benefit, though...* He continued.  
  
Indeed, where Genma normally attracted stares like an electromagnet does iron shavings, noone paid him much mind.  
  
The semi-rotund martial artist raised one hand to scratch at the stubble under his hat.  
  
"Lousy hair...." He grumbled. "Why can't it just finish growing in already?"  
  
Replacing his hat, he continued on his way to do something he hadn't had to do for quite some time.  
  
Still, he admitted to himself, *It WAS good of the boy to give me that stuff. I just can't wait until he asks for the payback, though.*  
  
Splash.  
  
Elderly Mrs. Terada stared at the large panda wearing a very strained business suit and gray fedora as it adjusted its glasses and glared at her.  
  
She decided to stop watering the walk for the time being. And have a drink. A good, stiff drink.  
  
An annoyed, wet, and still-itching panda whuffed, and continued on its way.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Passenger Chapter 34: Intermediacy  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction by S. Starblade Dedicated to the number 5,271,009. And if you don't know what that refers to, don't worry.  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, they aren't mine. I don't own them, or any money. And I'm not making any off of this. So sueing me is a waste of time and wrong, too. Except the ones I DO own. And if you want to use those, just ask- I'll probably say 'yes'.  
  
indicates English or sometimes sound effects. " " indicates spoken Japanese [ ] indicates Jusenkyoo-type cursed animal signs, which are usually in Japanese or Chinese { } indicates Chinese * * indicates thoughts, especially thought-conversation between Kodora and Ranma  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
The day: Thursday.  
  
The place: Nerima.  
  
The reason: Because.  
  
The cereal: Kix.  
  
The password: Swordfish.  
  
The WHAP OW!  
  
Okay, okay....  
  
Thursday, two days before the Martial Arts Pair Skating conflict. The Tendoo Dojo, midafternoon.  
  
******  
  
Three people occupied the dojo. Four counting the slightly bruised rabbit, but not many would know to count him.  
  
The two in the middle of the dojo at the moment were the shortest of the three by a good foot and a half, and the middle-height.  
  
The shortest was defined as a person rather loosely by some standards. She stood, herself, at only four feet five inches, maybe six. The thick, sharp quills that replaced her hair stuck up more than enough to give her the impression of being five feet tall, but the actual top of her head was only four and a half feet from what she was standing on. The quills, twice as long at the back as at the front, were pulled into a tight, if impressively thick ponytail that hung down behind her to her waist. Sticking out where most peoples' spines would end was a two-foot-long, brown-furred tail, much like a cats, right down to its tendency to lash when its owner was agitated. Her large, expressive eyes had irises of shifting red, flowing from a deep crimson to a pale pink with little warning. A small, pouty mouth was set in a line of focus, two fangtips protruding downwards from between her lips. The outfit she wore was more than too big for her, the sleeveless shirt looking more like an oversized t-shirt, and the pants only staying on by virtue of the ties at the waist and ankles. Despite this, she managed not to look swamped in the ensemble, balanced lightly on the balls of her slippered feet.  
  
Standing opposite her, in a more traditional stance of readiness was another young girl of maybe sixteen. Long, navy-blue hair hung behind her in a loose, low ponytail, and her long sideburns hung in front of her shoulders. The girl's chocolate-brown eyes glimmered with tension and a bit of strain on control. She was considerably taller than her opponent, being all of five foot two. She wore a pale-yellow gi and a sky-blue headband. Her body was lean, but muscled, the baby-fat worn away from all of her but her face, lending her a bit of an innocent look. She wore no shoes, although no reason for this was readily apparent. She carefully altered her stance slightly, doing her best not to leave any openings.  
  
On the sidelines stood the tallest of the three girls- a young woman, really. At nineteen, she was of impressive height for a Japanese woman, being roughly five feet six inches. Her nut-brown hair was in a ponytail, tied at the base of her neck. Deep jade eyes watched her two sisters, one by blood, the other by adoption. The gi she wore was fresh and new- looking, as opposed to that worn by the taller of the two in ready stances, which had a bit of a frayed look around the edges. She stood in a relaxed position, a slight smile, as ever, playing across her mouth. The smile she wore looked like it could have spent four billion years sitting on a rock without ever stopping, practically a natural feature of her face. Her gi was a light gray, contrasting with the wooden wall behind her. She seemed to be waiting for something, although one would be hard pressed to tell what, exactly, for the aura of peacefulness she exuded seemed at once in tune and dissonant to the concept of martial arts conveyed by her outfit.  
  
The rabbit crouched by her feet was, with the possible exception of the shortest of the three girls, the most unusual being present within the dojo. This was not because of the squared-stripe tiger bandanna it was wearing as a collar, nor because of the fact that it looked like it had recently been run through a washing machine and improperly dried. It was because this rabbit had fur of a nice green color, not deep, but more like that of new, growing pine needles, or perhaps a patch of pale clover.  
  
The shortest girl bounced lightly from foot to foot, never touching down more than the ball and toes of either foot.  
  
"Ready, Akane?"  
  
Her opponent shifted, bringing her hands up into a more agressive stance.  
  
"Ready when you are, Kodora-chan."  
  
Kodora kept her hands up in a position like that of a boxer, but with loose fists.  
  
"Three seconds."  
  
And precisely three seconds later, not much hell erupted.  
  
Sliding forwards, Kodora began lashing out with her hands as quickly as she could, arms blurring slightly from the speed. As soon as she came into range, Akane began parrying and blocking each individual attack as best she could, sometimes dealing with multiple blows with a single motion. Still, she was not as quick as her smaller sister, and some strikes got through at first.  
  
Soon, however, a tempo was developed, and the second-youngest Tendoo began to block easier and faster.  
  
Seeing this, the demi-human martial artist decided it was time to step this round of training up to par. Her blows slowed marginally as she began to form a pale blue-green aura around herself. The aura flowed slowly around her, seeming almost fluid. It gave way as she punched her fists out, incidentally softening Akane's parries and blocks.  
  
Seeing this, Akane narrowed her eyes, and gathered her own aura, beginning to emit a fitful pale-blue aura that flickered red at times.  
  
Suddenly, Kodora's aura seemed to subsume itself into her body as her eyes gleamed once.  
  
"Seigensakudoken!" Shouted the youngest Tendoo, her fists suddenly blurring into a spray of punches. The blows were wild, and only moderately controlled, but fast enough to more than make up for this, particularly given that her opponent was only on about the same level as her.  
  
As blow after blow rained down at her defense, Akane focused as hard as she could. Her father had showed her... now all she had to do was try and mimic it.... As her aura continued to flicker, brightening slightly, Akane reached for the memory of her father's actions. As her younger sister had pressed the attack, he had suddenly....  
  
With a blur of motion, Akane literally slid out of the way of the attack, gliding motionlessly in a quarter-circle around Kodora.  
  
"Sotsuji Houikae! (Sudden Direction Alteration)"  
  
As Kodora lurched around, yanking herself to face Akane, the elder girl finished her attack, striking out.  
  
There was a sudden silence.  
  
Kodora stared at the palm scarcely an inch from her nose, frozen solid.  
  
She blinked.  
  
"Hm." She stated.  
  
"Looks like you win."  
  
Akane nodded in assent, then stood, feet together, and bowed to her sister.  
  
Kodora bowed in return.  
  
Then they leapt at each other in joy.  
  
"YATTA! I did it! I did it!"  
  
"Alright! Way to go, Oneechan!"  
  
Kasumi just continued to smile, and the rabbit just sort of sat there, half- asleep. Which was excusable, considering it had spent the previous night digging itself out from under a rockslide.  
  
That would have been just fine with Ryooga if he hadn't burrowed out just in time to catch a rainstorm.  
  
As a result, he was practically asleep on all four paws by the time he finally reached the Tendoo-ke, hence his current state.  
  
The two younger Tendoo sisters calmed their celebration in the middle of the dojo.  
  
"Okay, so what was it you wanted to try, Kodora?"  
  
Kodora folded her arms over her chest. "Well," She began, "I developed the Seigensakudoken because I know I'm a bit fast, and I wanted to use that for a martial arts move."  
  
Her sister nodded. "And?"  
  
"The thing is," Responded the young demoness, "My arms aren't really my strong point. I can't even break one brick with my hands. BUT, you do remember that I lifted Ryooga's backpack?"  
  
Akane nodded, rubbing her shoulder in rememberence. "Hai. I tried to pick it up later, but I couldn't, even with both arms. That thing's heavy!"  
  
Kodora smiled slightly. "Part of that is leverage, Akane- I had an easier time, because it was closer to my center of balance than it would have been if I lifted it with my arms."  
  
Kasumi blinked. "Ara, that's right, you put it on before standing up, rather than picking it up...."  
  
Kodora took her turn to nod. "Right. The other reason I was able to lift it at all is that I have much stronger legs than I do arms."  
  
Kasumi nodded. "Hai- I could tell."  
  
The rabbit got into the groove too, by nodding..... off.  
  
Fortunately, rabbits don't snore, so it didn't interrupt the conversation.  
  
"So," Continued Kodora, "That pretty much shows that my legs are my strong point. So I was hoping to develop a version of the Seigensakudoken that could work with kicks rather than punches."  
  
Akane smiled. "I see. So, what did you need help on?"  
  
"Well," the smaller martial artist offered, "I don't seem to be able to figure out a good way to train for it.... I asked Nabiki if she could come up with something, but I'd really rather not pay two thousand yen."  
  
Akane chuckled and rolled her eyes. "That Oneechan of mine....."  
  
Kasumi shook her head. "That's really not proper of her..."  
  
"It's her perogative." Dismissed Kodora, shrugging. "Besides, I like coming up with these things on my own. But, I seem to be fresh out of new ideas for now."  
  
Akane looked thoughtful. "Hm... Well, I don't think I can help you there.... I'll see if I can come up with something."  
  
Kodora smiled at her sister. "That's all I ask. Don't trouble yourself too much about it."  
  
Akane nodded. "So, you're going to practice with Kasumi now?"  
  
"Iie." Negated Kodora. "Ranma is."  
  
"Okay. I'll just go clean up- I'll be in my room if you need me."  
  
Kodora turned to Kasumi as Akane left the room. "Ranma says he'll be right back."  
  
Kasumi nodded.  
  
As her youngest sister left the dojo, the young woman looked down at their houseguest. Seeing that he was fast asleep, she smiled a bit and sighed. "What ever will we do with you, Ryooga-san?"  
  
******  
  
Ku Lon sat at the register in one of her good, plain robes, one that wasn't too showy so as not to distract customers from the books (and let her sneak up on people). Sin Ku, in her usual sea-blue robes, was up in the archive area, finishing the last touches on organization. Xian Pu was arranging the last vase of flowers on the last table in the browsing area.  
  
Glancing around, Ku Lon grinned. It was a good morning to open the store. It was sunny, there were just enough clouds in the sky to keep it from being too bright, and it was a Friday.  
  
She had been surprised at first to find a district in Japan running on an American-style school schedule, but it only required minor adjustments to her plans.  
  
Xian Pu adjusted the nametag on the left breast of her almost-but-not-quite- excessively-cute outfit and prepared her smile, slightly adjusting one of the buns her hair was set in. {Are we almost ready, Great-Grandma? I can't wait to get started.....}  
  
Ku Lon chuckled raspily. "Always eager, aren't you, child? And please, we ARE in Japan-"  
  
Xian Pu gave a put-upon sigh. "Xian Pu know. Speak Japanese. Hibachan KNOW Xian Pu not good with language, though."  
  
The Amazon Matriarch smiled indulgingly. "All the more reason to practice as much as possible, child. Now, we open in fifteen minutes. Double-check that you didn't miss anything."  
  
Xian Pu smiled again. "Yes, Hibachan."  
  
Ku Lon settled back behind the register amongst the ledgers, smiling to herself as she held her cane across her lap. It was a comfort to finally be able to be amongst her books for a while without being around the other Amazons. She loved her people, but so many of them were either stuffy or in a horrible rush to mesh with the outer world. Noone seemed to realize that a more careful integration of new thinking and old traditions was in order.  
  
But maybe, here, with her great-granddaughter and her good friend, she could start something a little better for the Amazons.  
  
And if she was lucky, she mused, watching Xian Pu busy herself checking the tables and chairs one last time, her great-granddaughter would find herself a nice young man to marry.  
  
******  
  
Somewhere in Nerima, someone sneezed.  
  
**************************************************************************** *************  
  
Ooooo, ominous.  
  
Sorry about the delay- My computer killed itself, and then I went broke, and then... well, it's a long story.  
  
Suffice to say, I'm back, with a new computer, and I won't be going away or giving up anytime soon.  
  
So keep reading, keep watching, and remember these helpful tips:  
  
Never pet a burning dog. Don't spit into the wind. Wear a helmet when you ride a bike. Don't drink rootbeer on an empty stomach.  
  
And never, EVER...  
  
forget to dream.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, have you seen my wombat?" 


End file.
